This Cardinals-Blue Jays trade would give Toronto the perfect upgrade from Jordan Romano

The St. Louis Cardinals are finally rebuilding, though they may be a few years late hopping on the train. Either way, they've finally decided to cut ties with a lot of the veterans in order to get younger and set themselves up for success in 2026, 2027 and beyond.

Part of this rebuild would include trading beloved players like Ryan Helsley and Nolan Arenado. Helsley is the most likely to be dealt, largely because the reliever market is so aggressive, especially after the top closers sign in free agency. The Cardinals would land an absolute haul for Helsley if they look to trade him after the top closers are signed in free agency.

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This Cardinals-Blue Jays trade gives Toronto the closer it desperately needs

There isn't a better place to send Helsley than to the Toronto Blue Jays. Here's how a trade for Helsley could look:

This is a two part trade. Let me break it down.

Obviously, the deal is centered around Helsley. But, in order to lower the prospect capital in return, the Blue Jays would also take on a bad contract, that of Miles Mikolas. The Cardinals would pay around half his remaining contract in this deal. Toronto would have the option to either cut him (likely) or try to plug Mikolas in as the fifth pitcher in their rotation.

Adding Mikolas as a salary dump would drop the value of the trade, allowing the Blue Jays to send two top 10 prospects to acquire the top closer. The two prospects heading to St. Louis in this deal are left-handed pitcher Ricky Tiedemann and utility man Charles McAdoo.

Tiedemann, 22, is practically big-league-ready. The 6-foot-4 lefty has three above-average offerings and would be a candidate to pitch in St. Louis in the next year or two if this deal is made. With the departures of Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn, the Cardinals are looking to deal Mikolas and Sonny Gray as well. This allows them to get much younger by replacing Mikolas with Teidemann.

McAdoo, 22, was excellent last season. He slashed .279/.364/.479 split between two levels of the minor leagues. He's a very talented prospect with defensive versatility that allows him to slide around wherever the Cardinals would want to use him.

Toronto replaces its depleted bullpen with a star closer. It's the kind of move that would kickstart a huge 2025 season and it's the perfect move for the Blue Jays. They may be competing with the Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees to acquire Helsley, so it's an important add for multiple reasons.