Helsley as a starter ?
Posted: 24 Nov 2025 06:01 am
Multiple teams have expressed interest in converting Helsley to a starting pitcher.
According to an article in The Athletic (subscription required), the Detroit Tigers are among several teams looking at Helsley as a potential piece in their rotation, with him possibly serving as a complement to ace Tarik Skubal if he remains in Detroit.
Starting wouldn't be foreign to Helsley. During his time in the Cardinals' farm system, Helsley pitched most of his games out of the rotation before the Cardinals converted him to a closer upon his promotion to the big leagues. In the minors, Helsley pitched in 87 games and started 69 of them.
To pitch in a major league rotation, Helsley would need to tweak his arsenal. Thus far in his career, Helsley has relied almost exclusively on a fastball and slider, but with starters generally needing at least four pitches, Helsley will be forced to expand his repertoire and hone his little-used curveball and cutter.
Helsley has mentioned that he would like to return to St. Louis, and some outlets have linked the two for a possible reunion, especially given a possibly deflated price tag after his immense struggles in Queens. Helsley said on the "Cardinal Territory" podcast that he expects to hear from the Cardinals this offseason and that he has talked with the Cardinals' new president of baseball operations, Chaim Bloom, after he was sent to New York.
If Helsley were to return to St. Louis, the Cardinals might be one of the squads that could attempt to convert him to a starting role. The Cardinals' top starter, Sonny Gray, is a candidate to be traded this offseason, and Miles Mikolas is unlikely to re-sign, leaving their starting corps woefully thin. Placing Helsley in their rotation would help shore up what is likely to be one of the Cardinals' major weaknesses in 2026, and Helsley may even be willing to take a discount to rejoin the team where he spent most of hi
Sure haven't heard any speculation Bloom would want to take on the project of returning Helsley to a starter as he did in his minor leauge days.
Guess the article does reflect how desperate teams are in the majors to find starting rotation guys.
According to an article in The Athletic (subscription required), the Detroit Tigers are among several teams looking at Helsley as a potential piece in their rotation, with him possibly serving as a complement to ace Tarik Skubal if he remains in Detroit.
Starting wouldn't be foreign to Helsley. During his time in the Cardinals' farm system, Helsley pitched most of his games out of the rotation before the Cardinals converted him to a closer upon his promotion to the big leagues. In the minors, Helsley pitched in 87 games and started 69 of them.
To pitch in a major league rotation, Helsley would need to tweak his arsenal. Thus far in his career, Helsley has relied almost exclusively on a fastball and slider, but with starters generally needing at least four pitches, Helsley will be forced to expand his repertoire and hone his little-used curveball and cutter.
Helsley has mentioned that he would like to return to St. Louis, and some outlets have linked the two for a possible reunion, especially given a possibly deflated price tag after his immense struggles in Queens. Helsley said on the "Cardinal Territory" podcast that he expects to hear from the Cardinals this offseason and that he has talked with the Cardinals' new president of baseball operations, Chaim Bloom, after he was sent to New York.
If Helsley were to return to St. Louis, the Cardinals might be one of the squads that could attempt to convert him to a starting role. The Cardinals' top starter, Sonny Gray, is a candidate to be traded this offseason, and Miles Mikolas is unlikely to re-sign, leaving their starting corps woefully thin. Placing Helsley in their rotation would help shore up what is likely to be one of the Cardinals' major weaknesses in 2026, and Helsley may even be willing to take a discount to rejoin the team where he spent most of hi
Sure haven't heard any speculation Bloom would want to take on the project of returning Helsley to a starter as he did in his minor leauge days.
Guess the article does reflect how desperate teams are in the majors to find starting rotation guys.
