ST. LOUIS — Rival clubs continue to call the St. Louis Cardinals regarding their relief pitching trio of Ryan Helsley, Phil Maton and Steven Matz. The bullpen market is far from formed. President of baseball operations John Mozeliak is prepared to wait for the right deal, and history suggests he’ll do just that.

Most of Mozeliak’s significant trades have occurred on the day of the deadline, if not hours before. He traded Tommy Edman last year on the afternoon of the deadline. Jack Flaherty was traded roughly an hour before the 2023 deadline passed. Mozeliak’s acquisition of Jordan Montgomery from the New York Yankees for Harrison Bader came together minutes before the 2022 deadline. So did his 2021 deal for Jon Lester.

The Cardinals hold considerable leverage when it comes to their relievers. Several teams are in the mix for Helsley, the closer. The Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays and Detroit Tigers are all believed to be in on the two-time All-Star. Philadelphia’s interest in Helsley dates to at least the offseason.

The Philadelphia Phillies are among the teams believed to be interested in Ryan Helsley. (Jeff Curry / Imagn Images)

Helsley will be a free agent after this season, but his value soared when Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase landed on the disciplinary paid leave list through Aug. 31 as part of a sports betting investigation by MLB. Helsley, the Pittsburgh Pirates’ David Bednar and the Tampa Bay Rays’ Peter Fairbanks (should the Rays decide to sell) represent the top three closers available. The San Diego Padres, though in the market for a reliever, are not viewed as a fit for Helsley at this time. San Diego has expressed interest in left-handed reliever JoJo Romero, who owns a 2.12 ERA this year and will not be a free agent until 2027.

Matz has thrived as a late-inning reliever for St. Louis, but other clubs could view him as a swingman option. After spending most of his career as a starter, Matz was placed in the bullpen (though he did make two spot starts early in the season). Entering play Tuesday, Matz had a 3.60 ERA over 29 relief appearances, but he’s been especially effective against left-handers, with lefties hitting just .183/.221/.232 off him.

Matz is in the final year of the four-year, $44 million deal he signed with St. Louis before the 2022 season and hopes to return to a starting role next year. He’s open to being used in both relief and the rotation if traded. Though he’s been used in shorter stints lately, Matz is stretched out to roughly 40 pitches and estimates it would take only a couple of weeks to work up to 80. The Athletic’s Will Sammon identified the Blue Jays as a club looking for a swingman. Matz spent the 2021 season in Toronto, making 29 starts with a 3.82 ERA and would be open to a reunion.

Toronto already swung one relief deal, adding Seranthony Domínguez from the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday afternoon, and is expected to continue pursuing the relief market, according to The Athletic’s Mitch Bannon.

St. Louis continues to make calls on Nolan Arenado, but no substantial traction has formed. The third-base market is robust, and only one team will land the top target, Eugenio Suarez of the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Seattle Mariners, Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers and Cincinnati Reds are all looking to upgrade the hot corner. However, it’s unlikely the Cardinals would trade within their division — especially with their long-time rival. It’s also unclear which teams Arenado would waive his full no-trade clause for, if any.

Willson Contreras recently met with Mozeliak to reiterate his desire to remain with the Cardinals. Contreras is signed through 2027 and also has a full no-trade clause. He had not been linked to any trade speculation; his conversation with Mozeliak simply confirms he won’t be moved. Sonny Gray and Miles Mikolas, the two remaining veterans with full no-trade statuses, are also unlikely to be traded.

(Top photo of Steven Matz: Dilip Vishwanat / Getty Images)