The Baltimore Orioles have been one of the more active teams to begin the MLB offseason thus far, trading for Taylor Ward and Andrew Kittredge, while also signing Ryan Helsley to a free agent deal.
Helsley’s contract is for two years at $28 million total. While the Orioles have Felix Bautista, he’s not likely to play in 2026 at all, making the closer role in Baltimore one that Mike Elias needed to address.
In the wake of this signing, Bradford Doolittle of ESPN handed out a grade to the Orioles for this move. While they previously got a “D” for their trade of Ward, this deal’s grade turned out a bit better, but it’s still a lackluster grade overall.
Orioles receive lackluster grade for $28 million Ryan Helsley signing
Doolittle has the Helslsey signing as a lackluster one for Baltimore, giving Elias a “C+” for his first big signing this offseason.
“The contract is a bit of a risk if Helsley doesn’t perform and declines to opt out,” Dolittle writes, “as a $14 million average annual value is what you would want to be paying a first-division closer, not just-a-guy reliever.”
The main concern for Doolittle with this $28 million Helsley deal is the player opt-out after year one. If Helsley struggles in 2026, he can not opt out, putting a reliever who’s struggled multiple seasons in a row on a $14 million deal for the 2027 season.
Baltimore is taking a risk here that Helsley’s 7.20 ERA with the New York Mets was an aberration, and his 3.00 ERA with the St. Louis Cardinals is closer to his production.
Helsley will get the Orioles closer job for the 2026 season, and if he thrives, he’ll likely opt out to sign a new, bigger deal in next year’s free agency.
That might be the best-case scenario for the Orioles, as the worst-case scenario could have a struggling reliever on the books for a very expensive $14 million.
Doolittle is a bit concerned with the player opt-out portion of this deal, and there’s real reason to be concerned. But if Helsley proves his Mets stint was a fluke, then this signing would be a solid one for the Orioles.
The grade for this deal isn’t a “D” like their trade for Ward involving Grayson Rodriguez, but a “C+” grade still highlights the reservations that Doolittle has with this $28 million, two-year contract Helsley signed the day after Black Friday.
