Biggest underachieving NY Mets player is signing with underachieving MLB team

The free agent closer market has moved relatively quickly, all things considered. Raisel Iglesias went back to the Atlanta Braves. Ryan Helsley has now joined him but he’s not going anywhere he has pitched before. He has agreed to a two-year deal with an opt out after one season to pitch for the Baltimore Orioles. The last free agent closer New York Mets fans figured to be an option to replace Edwin Diaz is now off the market and headed down I-95.

Coming off a year where he lost his fastball, tuned up to a .422 batting average against it, Helsley will have a chance to rebuild his stock for a season on a thrifty Orioles team that underachieved as badly as he did last season. It’s a match made in heaven.

Paula Abdul sang about opposites attracting. In this case, it’s two Band-Aids sticking together.

Did the Orioles just sign their next Craig Kimbrel with Mets free agent Ryan Helsley?

The Orioles have been here before. In need of a closer in 2024, they inked Craig Kimbrel to a one-year deal worth $12 million. He ended up released in late September with a 5.33 ERA on the year.

Helsley’s 2025 season wasn’t as bad. The 4.50 ERA was unacceptable. The 7.20 ERA he had as a member of the Mets is unworldly.

There were previous reports of Helsley drawing free agent interest to become a starter. Whether a lack of interest or pride to remain in the closer role, Helsley chose to ink a deal for his more familiar role rather than let things extend further to see if maybe there was a deal out there to become a starter. Considering Clay Holmes got a respectable contract last year from the Mets which matches closely to what the Orioles are paying him, there isn’t much of a financial incentive. And if Helsley is dominant this year out of the Orioles bullpen, he is more likely to secure a long-term deal than he would if he was just average as a starter.

The signing doesn’t make much of a difference for the Mets. The same teams competing for Diaz in free agency wouldn’t be in the market to take a chance on Helsley rebounding. The Orioles, with a tighter budget, clear need, and willingness to try to work on a fallen closer, made more sense for Helsley. The Mets were never bringing back Helsley and still have Diaz, Robert Suarez, Kenley Jansen, Devin Williams, Emilio Pagan, and Pete Fairbanks to choose from.