Ryan Helsley, who has been a key relief pitcher for the Mets over the past three seasons, is now set to make a role change after a rather difficult period with the team.
As reported by The Athletic, teams like the Detroit Tigers are showing interest in him as a potential starter during the early days of free agency.
Helsley’s transition will echo the moves of his Mets teammates, such as Clay Holmes and Seth Lugo, as well as former Yankees player Michael King, who have also shifted from bullpen roles to starting positions.
The 31-year-old right-hander has played 297 major league games, all as a reliever.
Interestingly, the last time Helsley started a game was back in 2019 while with the Cardinals’ Triple-A affiliate in Memphis.
He gained recognition as a standout reliever in 2022, earning All-Star selections in 2022 and 2024. However, his performance was less than stellar during the first half of last season with the Cardinals.
His trade to the Mets before the deadline didn’t seem to help his performance either, and he struggled with issues like his pitching tip and was quite disappointing at Queen’s.
As the Mets missed out on the playoffs, Helsley pitched in 22 games, giving up 16 earned runs in 20 innings, resulting in a WHIP of 1.800.
He primarily relies on his four-seam fastball and slider but also incorporates both a cutter and curveball into his repertoire.
Interestingly, after a challenging second half with the Yankees last offseason, Holmes secured a three-year, $38 million deal with the Mets and has shown solid potential as a starting pitcher.
On the free agent front, there’s a strong lineup of relievers, including fellow Mets like Edwin Diaz, and pitchers like Devin Williams, Pete Fairbanks, Robert Suarez, and Kenley Jansen.
Additionally, Luke Weaver, who became the Yankees’ full-time reliever in 2024, has mentioned he would be “open” to transitioning back to a starting role later in the season during an interview.
