There’s always one guy who bleeds the team colors long after the front office goes grayscale. While the Cardinals debate asset value like it’s a Wall Street spreadsheet, a 31-year-old flamethrower quietly delivers both saves and sentiment. Meanwhile, the Dodgers circle like buzzards, bullpen bleeding and pockets ready. Loyalty’s a currency, but in this market, it might just get traded for cash and a controllable prospect.

We usually see where a team wants a player to stay but the player is uncertain and is in two minds. Sometimes this applies for teams as weel and the St. Louis Cardinals are no exception. With the trade deadline days away, the Cardinals have got a major decision that involves Ryan Helsley and the Dodgers. But he has made his feelings clear and that might help sort the situation.

In a recent interview, Helsley talked about the trade rumors and his view on this. Helsey said, “I really wish I could keep that [veteran] role, stay here and carry on that Cardinal tradition… I can’t imagine myself wearing a jersey that doesn’t include the famed birds on the bat… Definitely, I would entertain [an extension offer], for sure… I would stay here… but that’s just not the way the game works.”

Helsley may not be replicating his 2024 dominance, but he’s far from ineffective. Despite early-season toe trouble messing with his mechanics, he’s still posted a 3.27 ERA and 19 saves. His strikeout rate has dipped to 24.8% from 29.7%, and his whiff rate fell to 29.2%. But for a contending team, that’s still premium-level firepower at the back end of a bullpen.

And yet, Helsley’s heart remains in St. Louis, where he’s spent all 11 professional seasons. He’s expressed a desire to stay, even entertaining a contract extension if offered. His wife works nearby, his kids were born here, and the jersey means everything. As he put it, “If I had it my way, I would stay here and make it easy.”

But baseball isn’t sentimental, especially when the Dodgers’ bullpen is bleeding out in plain sight. With Tanner Scott’s 4.09 ERA and seven blown saves, and Kirby Yates yielding a .500 slugging, LA’s late innings are unstable. Evan Phillips is out for the season, and Blake Treinen and Michael Kopech are on the shelf. Helsley, still sharp and battle-tested, would fit perfectly in L.A.’s chaos-cloaked closer chair.

The Cardinals are running out of time, and the Dodgers are running out of patience—and options. One side has the pitcher, the other has the need, and both have a clock ticking louder by the day. If St. Louis wants to play the loyalty card, they’d better stop shuffling it. Otherwise, Helsley might end up saving games in October—but not for the birds on the bat.

Forget rumors, Ken Rosenthal gave big picture that the Dodgers have

Forget wish lists and smoke signals—the Dodgers don’t need another rumor; they need results. You can throw a hundred million at a bullpen and still end up with a mess that smells like desperation. Ken Rosenthal isn’t just connecting dots—he’s underlining them in red ink. While the Cardinals wrestle with trade indecision, the Dodgers have already identified their flaw and, unlike St. Louis, plan to actually fix it.

Dodgers fans are currently riding high with the team holding the National League’s top record after sweeping recent series. However, their bullpen has faltered, leaving managers uneasy and supporters collectively holding their breath. As Rosenthal remarked, “After investing a combined $107 million in free‑agent relievers… the Dodgers are expected to pursue bullpen help.” That honest assessment crystallizes the urgency now permeating Dodger Stadium’s front office.

At the July trade deadline, Los Angeles plans to double down on pitching, not just flirt with upgrades. Rosenthal also noted, “Part of it also stems from injuries,” emphasizing concerns over reliability coming off the injured list. With offensive firepower in place and starters reshuffled around Snell’s return, only one weak link remains. The big picture is clear: Reinforce the bullpen decisively, rather than gamble like the Cardinals chasing rumors and half-measures.

So while the Cardinals scroll trade rumors like they’re doomscrolling at 3 a.m., the Dodgers are already writing their script for October. This isn’t about panic—it’s precision, delivered with a billion-dollar poker face. Los Angeles knows the cost of chasing trophies, and it sure isn’t paid in wishful thinking. The bullpen might’ve sprung a leak, but Andrew Friedman isn’t grabbing duct tape—he’s shopping for steel.