The Baltimore Orioles made a splash over the weekend, signing Ryan Helsley to a two-year, $28 million contract.
Despite his struggles with the New York Mets, the hard-throwing right-hander was highly regarded as one of the top free agent relievers in a stacked class that included Edwin Diaz, Devin Williams, Raisel Iglesias, and Pete Fairbanks. But the Orioles chose not to wait around to fill their closer role, a pressing need this offseason, and put their trust in Helsley to bounce back in a big way in 2026.
Helsley, 31, become one of the league’s best relievers during his six-and-a-half years with St. Louis, earning the NL Reliever of the Year Award in 2024 after posting a 2.04 ERA and leading MLB with 49 saves. He had a strong start to 2025, converting 21 of his 26 save opportunities and holding a 3.00 ERA in 36 games for the Cardinals.
But everything changed after the trade deadline when the Mets acquired Helsley with the hopes of converting him from a closer to a setup man for Diaz. In his first 11 appearances in Queens, Helsley blew four saves and his ERA ballooned up to a 10.38 mark. Following this dreadful start, it was reported that the veteran reliever and team officials believed he was tipping his pitches.
Read More: Why Ryan Helsley is the perfect fit for the Orioles
Now, over three months later, Helsley is confident this issue is a thing of the past. In a scheduled Zoom call with reporters, the O’s new closer explained that his pitch tipping has been “ironed out” and he doesn’t believe it will affect him moving forward.
Ryan Helsley said the issues he had with pitch tipping last year have been “ironed out.” He doesn’t expect it to be an issue moving forward, and he believes the experience of going through it will help him in the future.
— Jake Rill (@JakeDRill) December 3, 2025
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Ryan Helsley not concerned about 2025 struggles
Jul 24, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Ryan Helsley (56) celebrates after the Cardinals defeated the San Diego Padres at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Helsley was never able to find his footing in New York. Whether it was a result of pitch tipping, adjusting to a new role, pitching in the pressurized environment, or a combination of each, it was clear something wasn’t right during the final months of the 2025 season.
But the good news for both Helsley and Baltimore is that he will now get a fresh start in a new city with a chance to put these struggles behind him. Another positive piece of the puzzle for the Orioles is Helsley’s sustained excellence across a large sample size in St. Louis.
The righty hurler made 275 appearances with the Cardinals, earning two All-Star appearances (2022, 2024) by racking up 105 saves with a 2.96 ERA and 377 strikeouts. Even during his rough stretch with the Mets, Helsley’s tremendous arm talent was on display, as he touched 104 mph and averaged around 99 mph with his fastball.
Helsley himself explained in an article from The Athletic’s Katie Woo that, according to the Mets’ models, his stuff was the best it has been in his whole career. Instead, he surmised the issue was rooted in his predictability, that hitters could see when his fastball was coming and when it was his slider instead.
Read More: Ex-Orioles closer doesn’t mince words on Ryan Helsley signing
A belief in Helsley’s plus-stuff and underlying metrics seemed to be held throughout the league as well, as a reported 15 teams expressed interest in signing him. The Detroit Tigers were even interested in signing him to be a starter, a rumor which Helsley confirmed was “definitely real” during the media availability Wednesday. While he was originally open to the idea, Helsley said that he “weighed the options and risks” and ultimately decided that returning to a closer role in Baltimore would be best for his career.
Ryan Helsley said rumors of teams having interest in him as a starter were “definitely real.” He told his agents he could be open to it. Detroit was in on him as a starter.
However, Helsley said he “weighed options and risks” and “didn’t line up” for him at this point in career.
— Jake Rill (@JakeDRill) December 3, 2025
The hope for both Helsley and Baltimore is that the second half of 2025 will merely be a blip in his strong career and that he will get back on track in his new uniform. The club, with their new closer penciled in, is expected to divert their attention toward the many starting pitchers remaining in free agency.
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