Former Mets right-hander Ryan Helsley has a new home.
Helsley is signing with the Baltimore Orioles on a two-year deal, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
The deal includes an opt-out after the first season.
Despite fielding interest from numerous teams for a potential move to the rotation, Helsley will slot in as the ninth-inning man for the young and hungry Orioles, who are looking to rebounds from a last place finish in the AL East.
The 31-year-old gives them the steady and reliable arm late-inning arm they need.
Prior to his trade to the Big Apple, Helsley was one of the premier closers in baseball, leading the league with 49 saves for the Cardinals two years ago.
He was enjoying another strong first-half with St. Louis before being dealt to the Mets ahead of the deadline, and things quickly took a turn for the worse as he struggled with pitch-tipping.
The 31-year-old struggled to a 7.20 ERA and 1.80 WHIP across 22 appearances in orange and blue.
Now that he’s identified the issue and has things sorted out, though, he’s confident he can rebound to his dominant form.
“I still believe I can be who I want to be,” Helsley told Katie Woo of the Athletic. “I’ve shown who I am as a pitcher, And I think there’s room for improvement, ways to get better and I get even more out of myself.”
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