Revising Ryan Helsley's 2-Year $28 Million Contract

On December 1st, 2025, the Baltimore Orioles signed reliever Ryan Helsley to a 2-year, $28 million contract after being one of the best relievers in all of baseball for the last half-decade. Unfortunately, he had a career-worst year, posting a 4.50 ERA in 58 games out of the bullpen. During the season, he got traded to the New York Mets and was a big contributor to their collapse. He posted a 7.20 ERA (Earned Run Average) in 22 games with the Mets and a FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) over 5.00. This can be attributed to his four-seam fastball yielding a .420 opposing batting average despite its high average velocity of over 99 MPH.

Courtesy of Bleacher Report

He will be entering his age 31 season and will have a lot to prove. The Orioles lost their current closer Felix Bautista to a torn rotator cuff, potentially ending his 2026 season. Helsley will look to repeat his 2024 season, where he saved a league-leading 49 saves, cementing him as that year's reliever of the year in the National League. His past success suggests this year was a blip and that a change of scenery out of New York will be a great benefit to him. Due to his past success, the valuation model projects him to match the exact value of the contract he was given by the Orioles.

Actual: 2-years, $28 Million

Projected: 2-years $28.8 Million