Ryan Helsley and the Baltimore Orioles Reach a Million-Dollar Agreement
Closer Ryan Helsley and the Baltimore Orioles have agreed to a two-year, $28 million contract, which includes an opt-out after the first season. This news comes as part of the rebuilding of Baltimore’s pitching staff, which seeks to strengthen itself with one of the most coveted relievers on the free agent market.
Despite interest from several teams in Helsley as a starter, the 31-year-old pitcher opted to remain in the role that made him a two-time All-Star and will secure him the ninth inning for the Orioles, maintaining the possibility of reaching the open market after 2026.
Helsley, whose agreement is subject to a physical examination, is the second addition to Baltimore’s bullpen this winter. Previously, the team reacquired right-hander Andrew Kittredge from the Cubs, after having traded him to Chicago at the trade deadline. With a struggling pitching staff, the Orioles finished with a 75-87 record, placing last in the American League East after having participated in the postseason in consecutive years.
Orioles’ president of baseball operations, Mike Elias, sought an option for the final innings in the free agent market and decided on Helsley, who, throughout his seven-year career, has an ERA of 2.96 in 319⅔ innings with 377 strikeouts, 133 walks, and 105 saves.
One of the low points in Helsley’s career was the last two months of the 2025 season, when, after a trade from St. Louis to the New York Mets, he recorded an ERA of 7.20 and allowed 36 runners to reach base in 20 innings. After an outstanding performance for St. Louis in 2024, which included 49 saves, the most in the National League, and an ERA of 2.04, Helsley saved 21 games with a solid ERA of 3.00 for the Cardinals before the trade deadline, when he was sent to the Mets in exchange for three prospects.
Acquired to bolster New York’s bullpen, led by closer and also free agent Edwin Díaz, Helsley struggled during his time with the Mets. He blew saves in three consecutive appearances in mid-August and spent most of the month working in low-pressure situations, as New York collapsed and failed to qualify for the postseason.
Baltimore saw more potential than weakness in Helsley’s slump and is confident that his pitch quality, which according to metrics is among the best in the game, will return him to dominance. Helsley uses one of the fastest fastballs in baseball, averaging 99.3 mph in 2025, according to Statcast, ranking in the 99th percentile of all pitchers.
With closer Felix Bautista expected to miss the 2026 season due to rotator cuff and labrum surgeries in August, the Orioles began the winter with only right-hander Yennier Cano and left-hander Keegan Akin as veteran bullpen options. In addition to Helsley and Kittredge, Baltimore could add another reliever.
The Orioles’ need for pitching help isn’t limited to their bullpen. Following the trade of Grayson Rodríguez to the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for left fielder Taylor Ward, Baltimore continues to seek starting pitcher options to join left-hander Trevor Rogers and right-hander Kyle Bradish at the top of their rotation.
Helsley, selected in the fifth round from Northeastern State in Oklahoma, was a full-time starter in the minor leagues until he joined the Cardinals’ Major League roster. From 2022 to 2024, he was arguably the most valuable reliever in the National League.
