Closers come and boy do they ever go and sometimes very quickly. They are baseball’s equivalent to a hired gun. As much as I like the Orioles’ signing of Ryan Helsley to be the closer in 2026, his opt-out after Year 1 says we shouldn’t fall in love with him.

Helsley may very well do an amazing job this coming season and resemble the guy who saved 49 games in 2024 for the St. Louis Cardinals rather than the guy who posted a 7.20 ERA in 22 games for the New York Mets after being acquired at the ’25 trade deadline.

Having already checked one offseason box — acquiring a solid right-handed power bat in Taylor Ward — Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias checked off box No. 2 with a power arm for the ninth inning.

The Orioles reportedly agreed to a two-year, $28 million deal with Helsley, a 6-foot-2, 235-pound right-hander. The last time Elias needed a veteran closer, he signed right-hander Craig Kimbrel for one year and $13 million.

Unlike Kimbrel, Helsley comes to Baltimore at 31 years of age, just one year removed from a 49-save season with the Redbirds. The metrics still liked his stuff in 2025, even if his results backed up.

In return, Elias had to horse trade. Helsley said sure, I’ll come back and post 40-plus saves, but once I reprove myself, I want to be free to cash in for 2027 and beyond.

So, no need to sweat it, Birdland. If Helsley is great and the Orioles are relevant, why wouldn’t Orioles fans want him back on, say, a two-year $34 million extension? And if things don’t go so well — see Tyler O’Neill — the Orioles will probably have him around in 2027. I am betting heavily on the former scenario.

But, regardless how his 2026 season goes, it would be wise not to fall in love with Helsley. The shelf life of pitchers who throw this hard this often is historically not very long. Helsley averaged 99.3 mph on his fastball in 2025.

When I sat down to write this column, I went year-by-year from the Orioles’ World Series season of 1983 until today to remember the club’s best closers:

  Top Seasons Innings Saves ERA Gregg Olson 1989-1993 339.1 160 2.23 Randy Myers 1996-1997 118.1 76 2.51 Jim Johnson 2012-2013 139 101 2.72 Zack Britton 2014-2016 209 120 1.38 Félix Bautista 2023, 2025 95.2 52 1.88

There were tons of one- and two-year guys like Don Aase, Armando Benítez, Kevin Gregg, Doug Jones, Jorge Julio, Chris Ray, B.J. Ryan, George Sherrill, Lee Smith, Mike Timlin and more.

The point isn’t how long they remain high-level closers, because it most likely won’t be more than two or three for anyone. The Orioles’ most recent indispensable arm — The Mountain — was seemingly indestructible until he wasn’t. After losing more than a year to Tommy John surgery and now another season-plus to shoulder surgery, what are the odds that his career save total of 67 ever ticks up more than a couple ticks?

The key to it is whether a closer can do the job for a club today because tomorrow is never promised to any of them.

See Also:
• Stan ‘The Fan’ Charles: Orioles Value Certainty In Grayson Rodriguez-Taylor Ward Swap
• Stan ‘The Fan’ Charles: Orioles Manager Craig Albernaz Inherits Better Situation Than Predecessor

Photo Credit: Courtesy of the New York Mets