Ryan Helsley He has drawn interest from clubs as a starting pitcher, and the Tigers are one of the teams talking to him about potentially moving into the rotation, according to reports from The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, Cody Stavenhagen and Katie Wu.
There has been a trend around the league of interest in relievers with starting experience getting rotation jobs. For players like this Reynaldo Lopez, Seth Lugoand Michael Kinga move that went very well and eventually garnered attention in the Cy Young conversation. For others, like Helsley’s former teammates Jordan Hicksthe move didn’t go so well. Hicks has posted a 5.19 ERA in 177 innings since signing with the Giants as a starter in the 2023-24 offseason and was eventually waived in a trade with the Red Sox, where he served as salary compensation. Raphael Devers trade.
The risk of an outcome like Hicks’ can pay off handsomely for the player and the team. For a team, signing a reliever and giving them a starting opportunity gives them the opportunity to acquire a top player at a very low price, while the league’s veteran forwards often sign nine-figure contracts. At the same time, for players, the opportunity to return to the starting lineup could mean a team is willing to invest in a more substantial contract than a non-elite reliever would be if they were successful and return in free agency with an established record of starting at a high level.
While that trend has been common in recent years, Helsley is an unusual rotation candidate. Most of the players entering the rotation have major league starting experience, a starting-friendly pitching mix, and lack a track record as a major league closer. While there are a number of pitchers in this free agent class who are available (and Brad Keller It’s worth noting that he himself has drawn interest in returning to the rotation), but that’s not the case with Helsley. Rosenthal noted that more than 90 percent of his pitches last year were either four-seamers or sliders, although he also has a cutter and curveball in his repertoire. Helsley made zero starts at the major league level and made 105 saves as the Cardinals closer.
Since taking over the role in 2022, the two-time All-Star has posted a 2.49 ERA, 2.80 FIP and 31.9% strikeout rate in 210 games. He’s also been overwhelmingly used as a one-inning arm, with only three outings lasting longer than three games over the past two seasons. All in all, this all makes him a perfect fit for the rotation. Rosenthal said the idea may have something to do with market conditions this winter.
Expect a slew of rotational arm launches this winter (Jack Flaherty, Sean Bieber, Shota Imagaand Brandon Woodruff) will either exercise his player option with his current club or accept a qualifying offer, and there will be fewer quality starters available than before. This relative shortage is compounded by the lack of a slam dunk ace at this level in the market this winter. Yoshinobu Yamamoto or corbin burns That could leave teams more willing than usual to get creative with pitching additions this winter. Meanwhile, from Helsley’s perspective, he’s having his worst season since becoming a closer, posting a 4.50 ERA and 4.14 FIP in 56 innings with the Cardinals and Mets.
This could be a hit to his market in the winter as there are plenty of closing options to choose from. Edwin Diaz, Devin Williams, Robert Suarez, Luke Weaver, Emilio Pagan, Pete Fairbanks, Kyle Finnegan and Kenley Johnson Both are quality relievers with ninth-inning experience in stronger seasons than Helsley, not to mention other arms like Keller who lack closing experience but are still expected to make significant money this winter. With such a strong back-inning reliever, Helsley might be able to separate himself from the crowd by getting his first start since his major league debut.
More specifically with the Tigers’ interest in Helsley, it’s not hard to see why Detroit might need more rotation help. even as ace trader Tarik Skubal As unlikely as it seems, with Flaherty surprisingly deciding to stay another year, there isn’t much certainty in the Tigers’ rotation outside of that pairing, Casey Meads. Reese Olson He’ll definitely be in the rotation when healthy, but has only started 13 games this year due to shoulder surgery. Troy Melton He impressed in his rookie season but has made just four major league starts for the Tigers this year. Even Mize and Flaherty are set to join Skubal as free agents next winter, meaning Detroit faces a massive talent exodus that could make it quite attractive to sign a long-term starter this winter who could anchor the rotation.
Of course, it must be noted that Detroit is certainly not the only team interested in Helsley, even as a starter, and the Tigers themselves may ultimately prefer a more mature team as a bridge between their current rotation and the one they need to build in 2027 and beyond. While the possibility of Helsley becoming the next King or Lopez is certainly tempting, if the Tigers are willing to go out and sign a more established arm like this rangers suarez or Dylan Seth This will provide more certainty.
