The Orioles have signed right-hander Ryan Helsley to a two-year contract, ESPN’s Jeff Passan experiences. The deal pays Helsley $28MM in complete, as per The Athletic’s Katie Woo. Helsley can choose out of the contract following the 2026 season, and the deal shall be finalized as soon as he passes a bodily. The 31-year-old Helsley is represented by Wasserman.
Felix Bautista underwent shoulder surgical procedure final August that can preserve the nearer on the injured checklist till a minimum of August 2026, and that timeline means one setback may sideline Bautista for everything of the 2026 marketing campaign. Because of this, the Orioles headed into the offseason searching for a number of bullpen additions, together with a pitcher with previous expertise as a more in-depth.
Helsley suits that description, as he racked up 105 saves because the Cardinals’ main ninth-inning selection from 2022-25. This stretch noticed Helsley named to 2 NL All-Star groups, he was the NL’s Reliever Of The 12 months in 2024, and he even obtained some down-ballot Cy Younger Award consideration in each 2022 and 2024. General, Helsley posted a 2.67 ERA, 29.12% strikeout charge, and 9.93% stroll charge over 299 2/3 innings in a St. Louis uniform, from his debut with the staff in 2019 till he was traded to the Mets ultimately July’s commerce deadline.
Given the Cardinals’ struggles over the previous few seasons and Helsley’s looming free company, it was seen as a shock that it took so lengthy for the reliever to be traded. (In truth, the Orioles had been first rumored to be involved in Helsley again in Might 2024.) Even buying and selling Helsley final winter within the wake of his wonderful 2024 would’ve introduced a better return again to the Cardinals, although they nonetheless landed three prospects within the midseason take care of New York. And, contemplating how issues went south for Helsley with the Mets, it’s exhausting to say the Playing cards didn’t come out on high within the deal.
Over 20 innings and 22 appearances with the Mets, Helsley was torched for a 7.20 ERA, along with his residence charge, strikeout charge, and stroll charge all going within the incorrect path. Helsley felt he was tipping his pitches throughout his time in New York, however regardless of the trigger, the transfer again right into a setup function behind Edwin Diaz ended up as a wash. Helsley’s struggles had been one of many many causes behind a disastrous second half for the Mets that noticed the staff slowly fade out of the playoff race and in the end fall wanting the postseason.
Regardless of this tough stretch, near half the league reportedly had curiosity in Helsley on the open market. The Blue Jays, Cubs, and Tigers had been among the many many groups who noticed Helsley as a bounce-back candidate and, intriguingly, Detroit and another golf equipment considered Helsley as a possible beginning pitcher. Given how Helsley has by no means began a sport on the MLB degree, it will’ve been a shocking growth to see him land someplace as a rotation candidate, however he’ll now settle into his acquainted closing function in Baltimore.
MLB Commerce Rumors nonetheless ranked Helsley thirty sixth on our checklist of the winter’s high 50 free brokers. He topped our projection of a two-year, $24MM deal, and he may find yourself handily topping $24MM over a two-year timeframe relying on what occurs along with his opt-out clause. If he rediscovers his 2024 type, Helsley will certainly selected to re-enter free company in quest of a extra profitable longer-term contract. The Orioles may not thoughts that state of affairs if Bautista is again wholesome by that time, and Helsley may then be tagged with a qualifying provide heading into free company subsequent winter.
Helsley brings elite velocity and spin along with his 99.3mph fastball, although batters teed off on Helsley’s fastball in 2025, and his slider has been the simpler of his pitches over the previous few years. The righty has lengthy struggled to keep away from walks or exhausting contact, although the house run ball was by no means an enormous subject till his transient stint with the Mets. It clearly wasn’t the perfect platform for Helsley as he entered free company, but it’s comprehensible why the Orioles nonetheless felt comfy in making a two-year funding in his companies.
Even a two-year pact counts as a giant step for an O’s entrance workplace that has been fairly conservative about investing closely in free brokers. A lot of Mike Elias’ seven-year stint accountable for the baseball operations division was spent rebuilding, after all, however Tyler O’Neill’s three-year, $49.5MM deal from final winter is the one different multi-year contract Elias has even given to a free agent. The Orioles’ disappointing 75-win efficiency in 2025 could have raised the urgency degree, as Baltimore has been linked to quite a lot of top-shelf names on this 12 months’s free agent market.
Between signing Helsley and re-acquiring previous good friend Andrew Kittredge, the again finish of the Orioles’ bullpen seems to be a lot sturdier than it did at season’s finish. Extra relievers may nonetheless be on the way in which, however Baltimore’s main pitching want is now rotation assist.
Inset photograph courtesy of Brad Penner — Imagn Pictures
