Helsley signed a two-year, $28 million contract with the Orioles on Saturday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Helsley's new deal will also give him the ability to opt out after the first season. Multiple teams were pursuing the right-hander with hopes of converting him to a starter, but Passan states that Helsley will remain in a closing role upon joining the Orioles. The 31-year-old got off to a strong start this past season in St. Louis, posting a 3.00 ERA and 1.39 WHIP alongside 41:14 K:BB across 36 innings and tallying 21 saves. He then regressed considerably after being traded to the Mets and finished the year giving up 16 earned runs over his final 20 frames. Despite his poor finish, Helsley still boasts a career 2.96 ERA and is just one year removed from tallying an MLB-high 49 saves in 2024, keeping him worthy of fantasy attention next season.
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Ryan Helsley: Most comfortable in ninth inning
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Helsley has received inquiries from teams about transitioning to the rotation, but he is more comfortable in a closer's role, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.
Roughly 15 teams have contacted the free agent righty, per the report, and the Tigers view Helsley as a potential starting pitcher. He is considering adding a two-seamer or changeup to his arsenal in 2026 to be less predictable, and another pitch would aid him in a move to the rotation, but Helsley has been a reliever for the last six years. "I know what I'm capable of as a reliever," Helsley said. "I think I still have a lot to give and can get even better. I've shown what I can do as a closer when I'm in that role. It's a really fun time to be in the game. It's the most important three outs of the game, but I still think I'm capable and able to be a starter."
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Mets' Ryan Helsley: Believes he's tipping pitches
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Helsley thinks his struggles since joining the Mets are a result of tipping pitches, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports. "I think I know how to fix it," the right-hander said Thursday. "So it's just being able to enforce that and that being my mental norm versus what I was doing to get my body to accept that and reinforce that."
The former Cardinals closer has a brutal 10.38 ERA, 2.31 WHIP and 11:7 K:BB in 8.2 innings with the Mets, and he's been tagged with multiple earned runs in four of his last six appearances. "It definitely stinks," Helsley said. "I've never gone through anything like this in my career." He's still looking for his first hold for New York after being acquired at the trade deadline to be the top set-up man for Edwin Diaz, instead taking three losses and getting charged with four blown saves.
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Mets' Ryan Helsley: Charged with ninth blown save
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Helsley was charged with a blown save Tuesday against Philadelphia, allowing two runs on one hit and two walks in one-third of an inning. He struck out one.
The poor performance came in the eighth inning, as Helsley continues to struggle in a setup role with the Mets. The hard-throwing right-hander now has a disastrous 10.38 ERA, 2.31 WHIP and 11:7 K:BB over 8.2 innings for New York. It wouldn't be surprising to see the club use Helsley in lower-leverage situations until he bounces back.
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Mets' Ryan Helsley: Struggles with new team continue
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Helsley (3-3) took the loss Thursday against Atlanta, giving up two runs on two hits and a walk in an inning of relief. He failed to strike out a batter.
Called upon to protect a 3-2 lead in the eighth inning, Helsley issued a one-out walk before serving up back-to-back doubles to Michael Harris and Ozzie Albies. Helsley has had a rough start to his tenure as Edwin Diaz's main setup man, coughing up seven runs (albeit only three earned) over six appearances and five innings while getting charged with two blown saves and two losses. The Mets won't give up on the trade-deadline acquisition, but Helsley could begin to cede eighth-inning duties to other relievers until he gets back on track.
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Mets' Ryan Helsley: Strikes out side in Queens debut
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Helsley gave up two hits and struck out three in a scoreless ninth inning during Friday's extra-inning loss to the Giants.
Acquired from the Cardinals at the trade deadline, Helsley was impressive in his Mets debut, with seven of his 16 pitches (14 strikes) topping 100 mph. The right-hander will immediately slot in as the top setup man in front of closer Edwin Diaz, and while Helsley had a shaky start to his 2025 campaign, he's been in elite form over the last six weeks or so, posting a 0.75 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 14:2 K:BB over his last 12 innings.
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Mets' Ryan Helsley: Headed to Queens
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The Cardinals traded Helsley to the Mets on Wednesday in exchange for Jesus Baez, Nate Dohm and Frank Elissalt, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
After making a move for Tyler Rogers earlier in the day, the Mets will bring in another quality high-leverage arm in Helsley, who currently boasts a 3.00 ERA through 36 innings and has notched 21 saves this season. With Edwin Diaz already firmly established as the Mets' closer, Helsley will likely join Rogers in working as a setup man in Queens.
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Cardinals' Ryan Helsley: Escapes with save
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Helsley allowed a hit and a walk in a scoreless inning while earning a save against Atlanta on Sunday. He struck out one batter.
Helsley put two runners on base with no outs but escaped the jam and finished off the 5-4 win. After blowing three straight chances in early June, he's converted six straight while allowing only one run over his last eight outings. Helsley owns a 3.27 ERA and a 36:14 K:BB while converting 19 of his 24 save chances this season.
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Cardinals' Ryan Helsley: Secures save No. 17
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Helsley struck out one and didn't allow a baserunner in a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save Saturday against the Cubs.
Helsley entered for the ninth inning with a two-run cushion and needed just 11 pitches to retire the side in order. The right-hander has now converted his last four save chances and has given up one run with a 7:0 K:BB across his past six appearances.
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Cardinals' Ryan Helsley: Cruises to 16th save
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Helsley recorded a save against the Guardians on Saturday, striking out one batter in a perfect ninth inning.
Helsley got a relatively easy save chance, as he entered in the ninth inning with St. Louis holding a three-run lead. He came through with a stress-free frame, retiring all three batters he faced on 11 pitches. This was Helsley's third straight scoreless appearance following a rough stretch to begin June in which he gave up at least one earned run in four consecutive outings. While he's had some struggles this season, Helsley is tied for 11th in the majors with 16 saves in 21 opportunities.
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Cardinals' Ryan Helsley: Holds on for 15th save
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Helsley picked up the save in Tuesday's 8-7 victory over the Cubs, allowing two hits in a scoreless ninth inning. He struck out one.
June has certainly been a dicey stretch for Helsley, who's now yielded two knocks in five of his seven outings this month, but he was able to hang on for his 15th save Tuesday. The hard-throwing right-hander had blown three straight save opportunities prior to successfully converting his past two chances, so that should offer fantasy managers some optimism going forward. Helsey sports a 3.54 ERA and 33:12 K:BB over 28 innings, but his 1.46 WHIP looms as a cause for concern.
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Cardinals' Ryan Helsley: Secures 14th save
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Helsley earned the save in Game 1 of Thursday's doubleheader against the White Sox, striking out one in a perfect ninth inning.
Helsley was called upon to protect a 5-4 lead in the ninth and needed just 10 pitches to secure his first save since May 31. It was an encouraging outing for the 30-year-old, who had blown three straight save chances and allowed a run in each of his previous four June appearances. On the season, he's 14-for-19 in save opportunities with a 3.81 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 31:12 K:BB across 26 innings.
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Cardinals' Ryan Helsley: Dealt with early-season toe injury
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Helsley dealt with a toe injury on his right foot early in the season that required an uncomfortable insert in his cleat, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
The toe issue -- which first cropped up late in spring training -- threw off Helsley's delivery, resulting in less velocity and command. Helsley finished April having allowed four runs with a 10:8 K:BB over 10 innings. The 30-year-old suffered a third straight blown save Monday against the Blue Jays, but Helsley said he feels "great" now, and his velocity is back up, giving him confidence he can bounce back.
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Cardinals' Ryan Helsley: Takes third blown save
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Helsley allowed a run on two hits and a walk to take a blown save in a 6-5 extra-inning win over the Royals in Game 1 of Thursday's doubleheader.
Helsley converted all nine of his save chances in May, allowing three runs over 11 innings with a 13:3 K:BB for the month. He struggled in his first appearance of June on Thursday after four days without taking the mound. Helsley has been far from elite this year, but he's still finding success with 13 of 16 save chances converted so far. He's added a 3.27 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 23:12 K:BB across 22 innings. His 4.9 BB/9 is well above the 3.1 he posted last year, which largely explains his occasional struggles with run prevention in 2025.
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Cardinals' Ryan Helsley: Converts 12th save
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Helsley allowed two hits in a scoreless ninth inning to earn his 12th save in Wednesday's 6-4 win over the Orioles. He did not strike out or walk a batter
Helsley faced the top of the Orioles' order and worked around two singles to secure the victory. The 30-year-old has converted all eight of his save chances in May, though he's allowed at least one hit in eight of 10 appearances this month. On the year, he's 12-for-14 in save opportunities and owns a 3.15 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 21:11 K:BB across 20 innings.
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Cardinals' Ryan Helsley: Holds on for 10th save
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Helsley registered the save in Friday's 4-3 win over Arizona after allowing two runs on two hits and no walks in the ninth inning. He struck out one.
It wasn't easy for Helsley, who hung a curveball in the strike zone that left the yard via a two-run homer by Gabriel Moreno. The hard-throwing right-hander was still able to hold on and preserve the victory, successfully converting his 10th save in 12 opportunities on the campaign. Helsley's 1.47 WHIP is a bit concerning, but he does have a respectable 3.71 ERA and 17:10 K:BB over 17 frames and remains St. Louis' go-to weapon in the ninth inning.
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Cardinals' Ryan Helsley: Notches ninth save
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Helsley picked up the save Saturday against the Royals. He didn't allow a baserunner or record a strikeout in a scoreless ninth inning.
Helsley retired the side in order on 12 pitches as he delivered his sixth straight scoreless outing to tally his ninth save of the campaign. The right-hander's 1.44 WHIP is still a bit high, but overall he's been effective early in 2025 with a 2.81 ERA and 16:10 K:BB over 16 innings.
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Cardinals' Ryan Helsley: Escapes with seventh save
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Helsley gave up a hit and walked two batters in a scoreless ninth inning Saturday to record his seventh save of the season in a 4-2 win over the Nationals.
After retiring the first two batters in the ninth, Helsley loaded the bases but was able to escape the jam by getting CJ Abrams to fly out. The Cardinals closer has been putting plenty of traffic on the basepaths this year, leading to two blown saves in nine chances along with a 3.21 ERA, 1.64 WHIP and 14:10 K:BB through 14 innings -- numbers which represent a significant step back from his dazzling 2024 campaign.
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Cardinals' Ryan Helsley: Notches sixth save
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Helsley earned a save against the Pirates on Monday, allowing two hits and striking out two batters in one scoreless inning.
Helsley entered in the ninth frame with St. Louis up by three runs, and he allowed the tying run to come up to the plate by allowing two singles. However, the veteran right-hander got Bryan Reynolds to strike out looking to escape the threat and notch the save. Helsley had just three saves and two blown saves in April, but he's off to a nice beginning of May with two saves through the first five days of the month.
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Cardinals' Ryan Helsley: Notches third save
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Helsley earned the save in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Astros, working around a walk in a scoreless ninth inning.
Helsley has held opponents scoreless in six of his seven appearances this season while improving to 3-for-4 in save chances after leading the league with 49 saves in 2024. His ERA is down to 2.57, with a 1.57 WHIP and 9:6 K:BB through seven innings to start the campaign.
