Orioles sign right-hander Ryan Helsley ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports that he will sign a two-year contract. The deal will pay Helsley a total of $28, according to Katie Woo of The Athletic. Helsley can opt out of his contract after the 2026 season, and the deal will be finalized once he passes a physical. Helsley, 31, is represented by Wasserman.
Felix Bautista Shoulder surgery last August will keep him on the injured list until at least August 2026, a timeline that means a setback could keep Bautista out for the entire 2026 season. As a result, the Orioles began looking for multiple bullpen additions this offseason, including a pitcher with experience as a closer.
Helsley fits that description, recording 105 saves as the Cardinals’ primary ninth-inning option from 2022-25. During that time, Helsley was a two-time NL All-Star, was the 2024 NL Relief Pitcher of the Year, and even received some betting consideration for the Cy Young Award in both 2022 and 2024. Overall, Helsley posted a 2.67 ERA, 29.12% strikeout rate and 9.93% walk rate in 299 2/3 innings in a St. Louis uniform, starting with his first appearance with the team in 2019 until being traded to the Mets at last July’s trade deadline.
Considering the Cardinals’ struggles over the past few seasons and Helsley’s impending free agency, it was considered surprising that it took this long for the reliever to be traded. (In fact, the Orioles were first rumored to be interested in Helsley as early as May 2024.) Even trading Helsley last winter after he performed well in 2024 would have resulted in a bigger return for the Cardinals, although they still received three prospects in a mid-season trade with New York. And, considering how Helsley’s relationship with the Mets has soured, it’s hard to argue that the Cards didn’t get a leg up on this deal.
Helsley appeared in 22 games with the Mets and posted a 7.20 ERA in 20 innings. His home run rate, strikeout rate and walk rate all trended in the wrong direction. Helsley felt his performance was tilted during his time in New York, but for whatever reason, he returned to a back-up role Edwin Diaz Eventually it became a wash. Helsley’s struggles were one of the reasons for the Mets’ disastrous second half as the team slowly fell out of the postseason and ultimately missed the postseason.
Despite this rough patch, nearly half of the league’s players are reportedly interested in Helsley on the open market. The Blue Jays, Cubs and Tigers are among the many teams eyeing Helsley as a bounce-back candidate, and interestingly, Detroit and a few other clubs are eyeing Helsley as a potential starting pitcher. Considering Helsley has never started a game at the MLB level, it would be a surprising development to see him land somewhere as a rotation candidate, but he will now step into his familiar closer role in Baltimore.
MLB trade rumors still have Helsley ranked No. 36 on our list of 50 winter free agents. He exceeded our projections for a two-year, $240K deal, and he could end up easily over $240K in that two-year timeframe depending on what happens with his opt-out clause. If Helsley regains his 2024 form, he will certainly choose to re-enter the free agent market in search of a more lucrative long-term contract. If Batista is healthy by then, the Orioles likely won’t mind that scenario, and Helsley could enter free agency next winter with a qualifying offer.
Helsley brings elite velocity and spin with a 99.3 mph fastball, although hitters are starting off with Helsley’s fastball in 2025, and his slider has been the most effective of his pitches over the past few years. The right-hander has long struggled to avoid walks or hard contact, although home run balls were never a big issue before his brief spell with the Mets. It’s obviously not the ideal platform for Helsley when he hits free agency, but the Orioles are still understandably willing to invest in his services for two years.
Even a two-year deal would be a big step for the O’s front office, as the O’s have been fairly conservative with their heavy investments in free agency. Of course, much of Mike Elias’ seven years running the baseball operations department has been spent rebuilding, but Tyler O’NealThe three-year, $49.5MM deal signed last winter is the only multi-year deal Elias has given to a free agent. The Orioles’ disappointing 75-win performance in 2025 may have heightened the urgency, as Baltimore has been linked to many of the top players on this year’s free agent market.
Between signing Helsley and regaining old friends Andrew Kitteridgethe back end of the Orioles bullpen looks much stronger than it did at the end of the season. More relievers may still be on the way, but Baltimore’s main pitching need right now is rotation help.
Illustration by Brad Penner — Imagn Images
