Helsley said last week that he would arrive at spring training with the aim of competing for the No. 5 spot in the Cardinals' rotation, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
All of Jack Flaherty, Miles Mikolas, Dakota Hudson and Adam Wainwright appear locked in as members of the rotation if healthy, leaving a host of others to audition for the final job. Starter-turned-closer Carlos Martinez will be among the competitors and profiles as the favorite for the gig if the Cardinals believe his shoulder can still hold up to a hefty workload, though Helsley, Kwang-Hyun Kim and Ponce de Leon will also get the opportunity to showcase their stuff. Helsley's shallow repertoire and poor control have limited his effectiveness as a starter in the high minors, but his upper-90s fastball occasionally made him a dominant relief weapon across his multiple stints with the big club in 2020. That should give him a decent chance at claiming an Opening Day roster spot even if he fails to claim a starting role.