Ryan Helsley is drawing significant interest despite a horrid two months with the Mets.
Helsley, 31, has seen interest from roughly 15 teams, which includes the Tigers, The Athletic reported Tuesday.
A number of teams reportedly talked about multi-year deals with the righty as a setup man or closer. The Tigers view Helsley as a possible starter.
The news that Helsley was drawing interest from so many organizations comes after he had a disastrous time in Queens after being acquired at the trade deadline from the Cardinals.
He posted a 7.20 ERA in 22 appearances with the Mets as he dealt with pitch-tipping issues.
“There is a lot of talent this year in free agency, and it’s exciting in itself to be in this position,” Helsley told The Athletic. “You work for seven years to get to this point and have a chance to experience it, so I’m very thankful and grateful for that. Hopefully, teams see there was an issue but my stuff is still there.”
Clubs don’t seem to be worried about the rough stretch that Helsley had with the Mets and have pointed to the right-hander’s metrics as a sign that he still can be effective.
The two-time All-Star led MLB with 49 saves in 2024 with the Cardinals, and he recorded 21 saves in 26 chances this past season before getting traded.
His move to the Mets led to the “hardest thing I’ve gone through as a pitcher in the big leagues,” as Helsley struggled to get clean innings.
It was eventually discovered that Helsley was tipping his pitches through his hand position when he was coming set.
Helsley remains confident that he can be a strong reliever in the majors.
“People might not believe me, but I really enjoyed my time in New York,” he said. “I still believe I can be who I want to be, and I’ve shown who I am as a pitcher. And I think there’s room for improvement, ways to get better and get even more out of myself.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
