Former Cardinals closer lands deal with contender after flirting with new role

The hot stove is ramping up this weekend! *Cue Hells Bells*

After a disastrous second-half stint as the New York Mets' set-up man, former St. Louis Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley's future role in 2026 was very much in question. Would a team trust him to be their closer? Would he have to try to get used to life as a setup man? Or would he end up converting to a starting pitcher, something that teams were exploring with him? The wait for that answer is over.

Helsley just landed a two-year deal with the Baltimore Orioles to be their closer in 2026. ESPN's Jeff Passan was first to report the agreement that also has an opt-out after the first year. Katie Woo of The Athletic is reporting the deal is worth $28 million.

Fromer St. Louis Cardinal Ryan Helsley will be the Baltimore Orioles closer in 2026

Helsley, 31, spent the first six and a half seasons of his big league career pitching for the Cardinals, serving as their closer ever since the 2022 season. Helsley was arguably the best reliever in baseball from 2022 to 2024, posting a 1.83 ERA in 152 appearances, striking out 34.6% of the batters he faced. Helsley was top five among all relievers in ERA, FIP, and batting average against during that stretch.

2025 was a tough year on the mound for Helsley, as issues with his tipping caused his fastball to be very hittable and his slider to lose a bit of effectiveness. While Helsley maintained a 3.00 ERA with the Cardinals in his 36 appearances, things went terribly in Queens, as he posted a 7.20 ERA for the Mets during their own second-half collapse.

The Detroit Tigers, among other teams, were flirting with the idea of bringing in Helsley as a starting pitcher, an experiment that myself and others advocated for the Cardinals to consider over the last few years.

The Baltimore Orioles are coming off their own dissapointing season in 2025, finishing last in the American League East with a 75-87 record after being a favorite to go deep in October before the season. The Orioles really needed bullpen help, so Helsley will have every opportunity to lock down the 9th inning for Mike Elias' club.

Helsley had mentioned that he expected to be in contact with the Cardinals this winter and has been very open about his love for the organization. While it is unclear how much interest the club had in Helsley, paying $14 million to a reliever in a rebuild year wasn't in the cards this time. Or perhaps Hesley preferred to be on a contender in 2026. Either way, a reunion is not happening this time around, but perhaps he could return to St. Louis in the future.