Tyler Wells picks up save for Orioles on Friday

Wells gave up a single to Elly De La Cruz and walked Sal Stewart to begin the inning, but he then retired JJ Bleday, Eugenio Suárez and Nathaniel Lowe in order. Wells is very clearly the favorite for saves in the Baltimore pen with Ryan Helsley down, but he will need Sunday off after this. With Yennier Cano also having worked back-to-back days, Rico Garcia might be the top ninth-inning option then.

Wells returns to Baltimore’s relief mix with lefty Grant Wolfram (back) hitting the injured list ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Yankees. The 31-year-old former starter figures to pitch in long relief situations. He’s compiled a serviceable 3.44 ERA and 18/4 K/BB ratio across 18 1/3 innings for the Orioles this season.

Wells heads back to the minors after allowing one run over 1 1/3 innings in relief against the Yankees during Friday’s series opener. The 31-year-old has posted a respectable 3.44 ERA and 18/4 K/BB ratio across 18 1/3 innings this season at the highest level.

Those three batters were Christian Cairo, Trea Turner and Bryson Stott. Although Wells has given up four runs in 7 2/3 innings this spring, his 12/1 K/BB is really nice. His roster spot is assured, and he should be in contention for a setup role in Baltimore’s pen.

The writing was on the wall when the Orioles added Chris Bassitt, and the team has confirmed that Wells will go into the season as a reliever. He’s pitched six scoreless innings with an 8/0 K/BB in five appearances this spring, and he could turn out to be a surprisingly strong seventh- or eighth-inning guy in the Baltimore pen.

The Orioles say they’re still treating Wells as a starter, but he’s seventh or eighth on the depth chart now right there, which suggests that he’s bullpen bound to start the year. He might be the team’s big win vulture while working in the middle innings.

No aces for the Orioles, but this is another strong addition. The 36-year-old Bassitt has made 30 starts each of the last four seasons, going 52-40 with a 3.77 ERA during that span. His stuff did show signs of decline last season and he was left out of the Jays’ postseason rotation, but he wound up looking great as a setup man during the team’s World Series run. He’ll join Kyle Bradish, Trevor Rogers, Shane Baz in the Orioles rotation, leaving one spot for Dean Kremer or Zach Elfin. However, they’ll surely need all six starters in the end. The move does push Cade Povich further down the depth chart, and it would seem to guarantee that Tyler Wells will open up in the pen.

He had been projected by MLBTradeRumors.com to earn $2.7 million via arbitration. Wells looked electric in four starts in September following a return from Tommy John surgery, registering a 2.91 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and an 18/2 K/BB ratio across 21 2/3 innings. Now that he’ll have a full healthy off-season under his belt, it should be all systems go for the 31-year-old hurler heading into 2026.

Eflin, who was 26-17 with a 3.54 ERA between 2023 and ’24, is coming off a rough 2025 (6-5, 5.93 ERA in 14 stars) that included season-ending back surgery in August. Maybe he’ll rebound, but he seems more like a depth starter than a potential No. 2 or No. 3 at this point. As things stand now, he’s set to join a rotation that includes Trevor Rogers, Kyle Bradish, Shane Baz and Dean Kremer. That wouldn’t leave any room for Tyler Wells or Cade Povich, assuming that everyone is healthy.

It’s Wells’ worst showing in the four starts since he returned from Tommy John, but it was still a very positive September for the 31-year-old, who winds up 2-1 with a 2.91 ERA and an 18/2 K/BB in 21 2/3 innings. He should certainly be in the Orioles’ plans for 2026, though if the team adds to the rotation — and it certainly ought to — he might find himself in middle relief or Triple-A initially.