On Saturday, the Baltimore Orioles made their second move of the MLB offseason by agreeing to terms with Ryan Helsley on a two-year $28 million contract. It was first reported by Jeff Passan. Their first move was the stunning trade of Grayson Rodriguez to the Los Angeles Angels for Taylor Ward.
The second year of the contract is a player option, meaning that he can opt out if he seems fit after having what he and his representatives presume to be a good enough season. This is a decent risk, high-reward type of move for the Orioles. Baltimore desperately needed a closer with star reliever Felix Bautista expected to be sidelined for the majority of the upcoming season. Bautista underwent surgery in August of 2025 to repair a torn rotator cuff and labrum in his right shoulder. They’re hoping that pitching coach Drew French can work attentively with Helsley and help him return to the pitcher we all know he can be.
The Orioles are in a prime position to bounce back after a disappointing season last year, especially on the pitching side of things. It wouldn’t hurt for them to add an ace-level pitcher to a rotation headlined by Kyle Bradish, Trevor Rogers, with Helsley aiming to shut down the door in the ninth inning.
Jun 30, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Felix Bautista (74) pitches against the Texas Rangers during the ninth inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images What Are The Orioles Getting In Ryan Helsley?
Baltimore is getting a fired-up Helsley, who is coming off a second half to forget with the New York Mets after being traded from the St. Louis Cardinals. He was one of the best closers and flamethrowers in baseball, on track to possibly get a three to four-year contract, and then it all came crashing down. Helsley is 31 years old, coming off a 4.50 ERA season, and his underlying metrics and expected stats took a huge step back last season.
With the Cardinals, he pitched to a 3.00 ERA, compared to his 7.20 ERA with the Mets. Helsley gave up 16 earned runs with New York in his 20 innings compared to only giving up 12 earned runs with St. Louis in his 36 innings. He was also giving up more hits, walks, home runs, and a lower ground ball percentage and strikeout rate with the Mets. Everything that could go wrong did for Helsley in New York, and he’s looking to put that all behind him and open up a new chapter with the Orioles.
Baltimore is hoping to get first-half Helsley back, unlock his former All-Star self, and he’s only one year removed from putting up a 2.04 ERA. In that same season, he had a 33.5% chase rate, 36.1% whiff rate, and a 29.7% strikeout rate. In 2025, Helsley had a career-high 45.4% ground ball percentage and a 41.6% whiff rate on his most-used pitch, the slider.
On the other hand, his fastball got hit at an astonishing .422 clip with six home runs allowed and an incredibly low 17.8% whiff rate on it as well. The most surprising thing is the fact that his curveball last year went from a 47.1% whiff rate to only a 17.8% whiff rate this season. That definitely explains the drop off in strikeout rate from 29.7% to 25%, definitely something that needs to be fine-tuned so he can get back to his elite self.
Aug 22, 2025; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; New York Mets pitcher Ryan Helsley (56) pitches the ball against the Atlanta Braves during the ninth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images The End Of My Ryan Helsley Rant
There’s still a really good player in Helsley, but he’s obviously not perfect currently. The Orioles obviously believe in him enough to give him this contract, though. He was one of the main culprits why the Mets missed the playoffs down the stretch, as he blew countless games, and there were even rumors of him tipping pitches.
Baltimore is hoping that he can regain form with them as they aim to bounce back after a tumultuous season in which they fired manager Brandon Hyde.The Orioles played better down the stretch, Trevor Rogers emerged as a pleasant surprise, and top prospects Samuel Basallo and Dylan Beavers also debuted for them.
Let’s see what Helsley has in a really tough American League East division with the New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, and Tampa Bay Rays. The competition isn’t going to get any easier for him, so let’s see if he can bounce back this upcoming season, in a really good opportunity for him to repair his market.