The San Francisco Giants acquired Rafael Devers, a 219-home run slugger in Major League history, through a 1-for-4 trade, while there are calls for the Los Angeles Dodgers to bring in Ryan Helsley, the closing pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals.
San Francisco agreed to a trade on the 16th (Korean time) to receive Devers from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for Jordan Hicks, Kyle Harrison, José Bello, and James Tips III.
U.S. sports media Sports Illustrated noted on the 17th, "The Dodgers are in desperate need of reinforcements amid a series of injuries. The St. Louis Cardinals could be the optimal trade partner."
The media stated that the Dodgers should acquire Helsley from St. Louis to reinforce their back end. Born in 1994, Helsley made his major league debut in 2019, appearing in a total of 264 games, with a record of 31 wins, 14 losses, 22 holds, and 97 saves. His earned run average is 2.74. Helsley secured 49 saves last year, earning the title of saves leader. This season, he has recorded 3 wins and 13 saves with an earned run average of 3.96 in 25 games.
Sports Illustrated reported, "The Dodgers must acquire Helsley and have no reason to delay further. He has been mentioned as a fitting card for the Dodgers for months now," adding, "However, no actual transaction has taken place. The necessity for the Dodgers to reinforce their closing pitcher role is becoming increasingly clear."
The media further added, "Particularly after the recent blockbuster trade of Rafael Devers, the Dodgers are likely to move more aggressively. In this situation, strengthening their closing role has become a crucial task."
According to Sports Illustrated, from the standpoint of St. Louis, trading Helsley is a perfectly reasonable option. Helsley is expected to become a free agent after this season, and the likelihood of staying in St. Louis is low. Therefore, St. Louis can leverage Helsley as a trade card to acquire valuable assets, and the Dodgers are desperate enough to make such a move.
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