Cubs are one of the teams interested Ryan HelsleyThe Athletic’s Patrick Mooney reports. Chicago has joined the Tigers as known suitors, but Helsley appears to have heard from half the league. Katie Woo of The Athletic writes that about 15 clubs have contacted the right-hander’s camp to express interest.
Detroit is pursuing Helsley as a starting pitcher. Even in a league that has become more willing to bet on reliever-to-starter conversions over the past few years, this is a surprise. Helsley has never made a start in the majors, and he hasn’t been a full-time starting pitcher at Double-A and Triple-A since the 2018 season. Helsley doesn’t seem to be asking for a rotating role. The 31-year-old told Wu that while he’s open to starting, he’s also comfortable pitching at the end of games.
“I probably missed the start of the first half of my career, but once I really started to finish it, I didn’t think about it as much,” Helsley said. “Obviously, learning new pitches is something I can pick up, but figuring out how to be a starting pitcher in the major leagues is going to be a learning curve in year one.” Helsley said he “(knows his) ability as a reliever,” although he expressed confidence that he can become a starter.
As he noted, he definitely needs to expand his repertoire to get started. Helsley almost exclusively uses his fastball slider against any handed hitter. He occasionally hit a curveball, but never a changeup or a cutter with any regularity. He may need to add one of those offerings to keep left-handed hitters off-balance. Helsley has done a good job against lefties during his career, but it will be more challenging if it requires navigating the lineup multiple times and he has less to throw to when he only plays one inning.
The quality of the stuff was a big selling point for Helsley, who hit free agency after one of the worst stretches of his career. Opposing hitters averaged .301/.379/.554 with a 7.20 ERA in 95 games after being traded from St. Louis to the Mets. The original stuff is as impressive as ever. Helsley’s fastball sits in the 99-100 mph range, and his 80-plus mph slider is still an excellent pitch. However, the Heat were well below their pace as opponents hit four home runs and five doubles in the final two months of the season.
Helsley said he identified a pitch-tilt issue with his hand position, which explains why hitters are so comfortable against him. Based on what appears to be strong interest, teams seem to agree that he can at least return to being an All-Star caliber reliever (if not expand his role). From the beginning of 2022 until the trade, Helsley pitched to a 2.03 ERA in 203 2/3 innings with a strikeout rate of 32.9%. He ranks seventh in MLB with 103 saves over the past four seasons — though he didn’t record any saves for the Mets, who already had one Edwin Diaz In the ninth inning.
Mooney did not specify whether the Cubs’ interest in Helsley was as a starter or a reliever. The Cubs need help in both areas, even though they have brought in his former St. Louis teammate Phil Marton A two-year contract was signed. It would make more sense for Chicago to pursue Helsley as a reliever and target an established rotation upgrade. Shota Imaga Came back after accepting a qualifying offer. he is behind Cade Horton and next to Matthew Boyd, Jameson Taillon final Justin Steele in rotation. Colin Ray and Javier Assad In the mix behind a swirl or long relief. The Cubs need another starter, but they should be looking for someone who can pitch alongside Horton in the top half.
MLBTR projects Helsley to receive a two-year, $24MM contract. Wu wrote that he has been discussing arrangements with multiple teams for years, so it appears he will be in charge for at least two more years.
