The Los Angeles Dodgers are making calls to the St. Louis Cardinals for closer Ryan Helsley as the team's bullpen struggles mount.
Dodgers Making Calls for Cardinals Top Reliever Amid Bullpen Struggles: Report originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Despite sitting firmly atop the National League West standings, the Los Angeles Dodgers' bullpen ranks in the bottom 10 of the league, according to FanGraphs. The unit’s 4.38 is the seventh-highest in the league, and they have allowed the second-most home runs by any bullpen in baseball.
Although injuries play a role in the Dodgers’ bullpen inconsistencies, closer Tanner Scott has been anything but a sure thing this season. He leads the league in blown saves and has failed to show the same tenacity to escape the jams he finds himself in. After inking the left-hander to a four-year, $72 million deal, Los Angeles still needs to find a lockdown reliever to secure the ninth inning.
According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Scott’s rollercoaster season has forced the Dodgers to scour the relief pitching market and call the St. Louis Cardinals about closer Ryan Helsley.
Helsley, similar to Scott, has battled inconsistencies this season. He has five blown saves, tied for the third-highest total in the league, and his 1.424 WHIP is the highest of his career since 2021. However, Helsley is still having a solid season with a 3.27 ERA and 36 strikeouts across 36 innings. He could give manager Dave Roberts two legitimate ninth-inning options as a right-hander, or strictly move Scott into a more traditional left-handed reliever role.
Unfortunately for the Dodgers, the Cardinals are undecided whether they will trade Helsley at the deadline, according to Nightengale. The team does not plan to tender a qualifying offer either, so it may force their hand to deal him, but it may take some coercion from Los Angeles to get a deal done.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 21, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Baseball
