Ryan

Helsley

Albernaz, who is managing a major league team for the first time, appears to believe that closers are closers and shouldn’t be used earlier in games when the situation might warrant. That’s good news for Helsley’s value, because while he was already clearly going to be the Orioles’ closer, it’s nice to know he won’t lose the occasional save chance pitching the eighth in tight games.

Helsley, whose only season of 100 innings pitched was in the minors in 2017 and who missed most of the second half of 2023 with a forearm strain, decided it wasn’t worth the risk to try starting at age 31. Perhaps he could consider it again if he has a successful 2026 and opts out of his two-year, $28 million deal next winter.

The deal is now official. Helsley, who can opt-out and re-enter the market next winter, takes over as Baltimore’s closer with Félix Bautista expected to miss nearly all of next season recovering from shoulder surgery. The flame-throwing 31-year-old stopper holds a sparkling 2.96 ERA and has converted 105 of 132 save opportunities over 319 2/3 innings since 2019. The move provides a significant boost to his immediate fantasy value as he faces zero competition for saves with the Orioles and boasts a lengthy track record of success in the ninth inning. He’s a borderline top-10 closer for fantasy purposes heading into drafts next spring.

The Athletic’s Katie Woo adds that the deal is for $28 million and includes an opt-out after the 2026 season. Helsley immediately takes over as Baltimore’s closer with Félix Bautista slated to miss most of next season recovering from shoulder surgery. The hard-throwing 31-year-old stopper has compiled a stellar 2.96 ERA and racked up 105 saves across 319 2/3 innings since 2019, and reportedly drew interest from numerous teams as a potential starter this offseason. Instead, he’ll remain in a high-leverage role with the Orioles. The move exponentially increases his short-term fantasy appeal as he faces little competition for saves in Baltimore and could re-enter the market next winter in pursuit of a longer, more lucrative deal. He profiles as a borderline top-10 closer for fantasy purposes heading into drafts next spring.

Rosenthal, Stavenhagen and Woo cite Michael King, Seth Lugo and Clay Holmes as prominent examples of relievers making the conversion to starting roles in recent years. The hard-throwing 31-year-old leaned heavily on a fastball/slider mix last year, and a move to the rotation would require expanding his secondary arsenal, but the long-term upside is obvious. He would bring yet another high-octane arm to a Tigers rotation already anchored by back-to-back Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal and supported by veterans Jack Flaherty, Casey Mize, Reese Olson, and intriguing prospects like Jackson Jobe and Troy Melton. With the closer market saturated by established veterans, exploring a conversion could broaden Helsley’s list of potential suitors.

Helsley was brutal after coming to the Mets at the trade deadline, posting a 7.20 ERA, 1.80 WHIP, and 22/11 K/BB ratio in 20 innings. However, Passan notes that “Helsley, with his 100 mph fastball and 90 mph slider blowing up stuff models, is going to get paid.” Had he finished the season strong, he may have commanded a deal pushing $100 million, but Passan believes that he will still get about $50 million on a multi-year deal this offseason.

This was after he entered with the team down 3-2 in the seventh. In 14 appearances for the Mets, Helsley, who knows he’s tipping his pitches but can’t seem to fix it, has given up runs nine times, including multiple runs on seven occasions. He has an 11.45 ERA in 11 innings, taking his season mark from 3.00 to 4.98.

Acquiring Ryan Helsley was supposed to relieve some of the pressure on Díaz, but it’s instead added to it, and Díaz was needed to enter in the eighth after Helsley gave up a game-tying homer tonight. Díaz proved up to the task, striking out Brandon Marsh and Trea Turner with the go-ahead run on base and then keeping the score tied in the ninth before the Mets walked it off in the bottom of the frame. Díaz threw a reasonable 22 pitches tonight and had the previous two days off, so he might be available to close Wednesday.

Diaz and Ryan Helsley combined to blow this game for the Mets. Helsley entered with a one-run lead in the eighth inning and allowed a run, blowing the save. Diaz came in to escape a jam in the eighth inning, which kept the game tied, before he allowed a walk-off home run to Isaac Collins in the ninth inning. With the Mets’ bullpen unable to hold the lead Sunday, the Mets were swept by the Brewers.

The trade is now official. Helsley joins an overhauled Mets bullpen that suddenly features a formidable late-inning trio alongside flamethrower Edwin Díaz and side-winding setup man Tyler Rogers. The 31-year-old impending free agent has converted 21 saves this season while compiling a solid 3.00 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 41/14 K/BB ratio across 36 innings. He brings another high-octane arm to a relief corps built for winning games in October. It’s a significant hit to his immediate fantasy appeal since he’s unlikely to usurp Díaz for a significant share of the save opportunities in New York. It’s unknown who will take over as St. Louis’ closer as the team continues a deadline teardown, but JoJo Romero would figure to be a good bet for the role if he stays.