The Orioles' Bullpen Woes: A Rollercoaster Ride of Injuries and Expectations!
Last season, the Baltimore Orioles found themselves in a bit of a pickle with their bullpen. It was, to put it mildly, mediocre, ranking a less-than-stellar 25th in MLB with a collective earned run average (ERA) of 4.57. Ouch!
Much of this struggle can be chalked up to the cruel hand of fate, specifically injuries. The biggest blow? A UCL tear in his elbow that sidelined the colossal Félix Bautista for the entire 2024 season. For those who might not know, Bautista, a towering 6'8" and weighing in at 285 pounds, had established himself as one of baseball's absolute best closers from the moment he debuted in 2022. He was on fire in 2023, and even after his lengthy absence, he returned in 2025 to his dominant self, boasting a 2.60 ERA, 50 strikeouts, and converting 19 out of 20 save opportunities in just 34.2 innings pitched.
But just when things were looking up, another setback struck. In July, Bautista suffered a right shoulder injury that unfortunately ended his season prematurely. This left the Orioles scrambling, without their go-to closer, and their relief corps, as the stats show, paid the price.
Now, Bautista is expected to make a return next season, but here's where it gets a bit uncertain: there's no guarantee he'll be back, and even if he is, we don't know how effective he'll be. This uncertainty clearly signaled to Executive Vice President/General Manager Mike Elias and the Orioles' leadership that they needed to bolster their bullpen this winter.
And that's precisely what they did! They brought in Ryan Helsley on a solid two-year, $28 million contract. This was a fantastic move for Baltimore, as Helsley has a proven track record as an elite closer over the past few years. However, and this is the part most people might overlook, he did have a brief, rough patch with the New York Mets last season after being traded, where he posted a 7.20 ERA in 22 appearances.
Insider Gets Honest About Orioles' Likely Next Addition
Given the lingering questions surrounding both Helsley and Bautista, it makes perfect sense for the Orioles to aim for maximum depth and talent in their bullpen.
And it seems like MASN Orioles insider Roch Kubatko agrees! In a recent article on February 7th, he stated, "I’m still anticipating at least one more bullpen move from executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias." This suggests that Elias is keenly aware of the need for further reinforcement.
Now, this doesn't automatically mean they're bringing in another closer-level pitcher who could step in if Helsley falters. But it's a very safe bet that Elias wants to acquire an impact reliever to provide a safety net, just in case Helsley and Bautista don't quite meet expectations in 2026.
What do you think? Should the Orioles prioritize another high-leverage arm, or are they in a good spot with Helsley and the potential return of Bautista? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
