...
By Drew VonScio
Contributing Sports Writer
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Ryan Helsley had spent his entire career with the St. Louis Cardinals prior to being traded at the trade deadline.
However, Helsley did not believe the mental side of the game would impact him as much, which he believes is part of the reason he struggled so much with the New York Mets.
...
Read More on MLB
“I didn’t think it was going to be as hard a transition as it was,” Helsley told Will Sammon of The Athletic. “I think it’s only human nature to want to show your value, probably press a little too hard, too much, maybe overthink things or overwork things instead of being the same guy I had been the last four years."
Helsley's time with the Mets wasn't pretty as he pitched to a 7.20 ERA in a stretch that was filled with mechanical changes to avoid tipping pitches. It's highly unlikely he returns to New York, although the Mets haven't officially stated they are moving in a different direction.
Now, he has to hope teams will avoid recency bias and hope there is still a market for him when free agency begins.
“Hopefully they see me as a backend guy,” Helsley told Sammon. “I feel like I’ve shown I can do that in my career over the last four seasons. I think the last month or so that I’ve struggled here, a lot of things can be attributed to it. And even the game’s greatest players go through it. In free agency, teams are more willing to pay you on ‘stuff.’ There are more things teams can quantify nowadays than ERA. Teams can dig deep and see what they like about guys. There are 30 teams out there, and I’ll be willing to listen to all of them.”
If by some chance he does return to the Mets, who would have to believe they righted all of the wrongs, he would likely return on a one-year "prove it" deal, or he could take a similar approach as Pete Alonso with signing a multi-year deal and placing an opt-out after the first year.
More MLB: Garrett Crochet Stunned by ‘Slap in the Face’ Ending to Red Sox Season
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines