During a June podcast, Tarik Skubal was asked a question about a hypothetical ten-year, $425 million contract. “That sounds good,” Skubal said. Now it’s November, and almost every contending team has its eyes on Detroit’s two-time Cy Young winner, and the Tigers’ front office still hasn’t presented anything remotely competitive. With Skubal’s future hanging in the air, the Tigers are already lurking in the market for a starting pitcher.

That pitcher is Ryan Helsley, and when veteran reporter Ken Rosenthal posted an update on X, the baseball world collectively raised an eyebrow. “Tigers among clubs looking at free-agent pitcher Ryan Helsley as a starter,” Rosenthal wrote.

The timing couldn’t be worse for Detroit. Here, they haven’t offered any deal to their homegrown ace, while trying to get a reliever whose time with the Mets in 2025 was terrible. Helsley had a good 3.00 ERA in 36 games with St. Louis before the trade deadline, but everything changed after he joined the Mets. His ERA jumped to 7.20 with New York.

And if you look at it, then the contrast with Tarik Skubal couldn’t be more stark. While Helsley was struggling to find the strike zone in Queens, Skubal was doing what he does best—dominating.

In 2024, he had an outstanding season with an 18-4 record, a 2.39 ERA, and 228 strikeouts, winning the pitching Triple Crown and the AL Cy Young Award unanimously. He excelled even more in 2025, finishing 13-6 with a league-best 2.21 ERA, 241 strikeouts, and the lowest WHIP at 0.891 over 195.1 innings, becoming one of only 12 pitchers to win the Cy Young Award in consecutive years. In the playoffs, he struck out 36 batters in 20.2 innings, posting a 1.74 ERA.

The two pitchers are on very different paths. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza frequently pulled Helsley from crucial situations, seeing his fastball get hit hard and his slider stay too predictable. “Good hitters are going to make you pay for it,” Mendoza said after a tough game against the Braves.

But why are the Tigers so laid back in their approach? Reports say Detroit offered Tarik Skubal less than $80 million for four years. This amount is very little compared to his projected deal, which is about $400 million on the open market.

Considering Helsley as a starting pitcher surprised many, given that his transition to a setup role with the Mets did not go well. Now, Detroit is looking to convert him back into a starter? This kind of decision leaves fans questioning what the front office is thinking.

When the Tigers’ move becomes an internet meme

Mets fans know better than anyone what a Ryan Helsley disaster looks like. “Every Mets fan audibly laughed when they read this. I couldn’t imagine not extending Skubal yet bringing in Ryan as a starter 😭😂,” one fan wrote. The comment captures the absurdity perfectly—Helsley posted a 7.20 ERA with the Mets and blew four saves in a brutal 12-day August stretch.

Some fans pointed directly at Helsley’s most infamous moment with the Mets. “You watched Mendoza pull him after like 5 pitches and this is your takeaway?” the fan questioned. Remember how, against the Philadelphia Phillies, the 31-year-old gave away a homer, which led to tying the game, and as a result, the skipper pulled him. Although they won thanks to Nimmo’s walk-off single. But that moment highlighted Helsley’s struggles—his mechanics were off, and his slider was hanging.

And there comes the comparison from the Mets, who tried to turn the reliever into a starter. One fan joked, “Everyone wants to be Clay Holmes 🫵😹.” On August 5, 2025, a game between Clay Holmes of the NYM and the Cleveland Guardians took an unexpected turn. Holmes was removed after only five innings and 75 pitches. He’d held the Guardians to a 2-2 tie, having retired the first nine batters he faced. He was pitching effectively, though. And here? Well, the Helsely stats don’t exactly sound astonishing.

The Mets received criticism for signing Clay Holmes, with many questioning the decision to make a reliever with 13 blown saves a starter. And one fan remarked, “If this happens, I want those who mocked the Mets for signing Holmes to do the same with the Tigers.” If converting Holmes drew skepticism, then converting Ryan Helsley after his struggles should raise even more concern.

One user had a direct jab at the Tigers’ front office choice over Tarik Skubal: “Need a late innings guy and didn’t want to trade for him at the deadline, but now they want to get him and make him be a starter. Scott Harris is a joke.” Detroit could have addressed its bullpen needs in July, but didn’t. Now they’re pursuing the same player for a different role while their ace heads to free agency, causing fans to question the front office’s priorities.

The Tigers are standing at a crucial point. Should they consider Helsley, or would it make more sense to focus on maintaining their own star pitcher in Detroit?