BALTIMORE — The Orioles have reportedly signed free agent right-handed relief pitcher Ryan Helsley.
MLB.com says the two-year-deal is worth $28 million.
Baltimore believes Helsley can take on the valuable closer role, in-place of the injured Félix Bautista.
The team seems to be banking on the 31-year-old's run with the St. Louis Cardinals from 2022 to 2024.
During that three-year period, Helsley earned two All Star nods, while posting a 1.83 ERA with 82 saves over 152 appearances.
But last season was a completely different story.
After compiling 21 saves in 36 outings for St. Louis, Helsely was traded to the New York Mets where he struggled mightily with a 7.20 ERA.
Helsely gave up 25 hits in 20 innings pitched, with opposing hitters batting over .300 against him at the plate.
The move is yet another pricey gamble by Orioles President of Baseball Operations, Mike Elias.
Less than two weeks ago, Elias pulled off a surprise trade, sending Grayson Rodriguez to the Angels in exchange for outfielder Taylor Ward.
At 26-years-old Rodriguez was under team control through 2029, compared to Ward, who is 31, and entering his final contract year at an annual salary of nearly $14 million.
While Elias has praised Ward's power (38 home runs in 2025), he also owned a .228 batting average, striking out 175 times.
Elias has tried filling Bautista's shoes before, like in 2024 when he acquired veteran closer Craig Kimbrel on a one-year $12 million deal that backfired.
Before the 2025 season got underway, Elias splurged in free agency spending $72.25 million on the likes of 41-year-old Charlie Morton and 37-year-old Kyle Gibson, a pair of starters the team paid more than $20 million to, despite neither of them being on the roster by season's end.
Then there is Tyler O'Neill, who Elias felt would bring power to the lineup, yet he ended up batting under .200 with just nine home runs, despite being paid about $16.5 million.
After a last place finish in 2025, the Orioles have hired Craig Albernaz as their new manager hoping to turn things around.
