There was no shortage of options this winter for Ryan Helsley, and yet, here he is, signed before the Winter Meetings begin next week. The aggressive pursuit of the right-handed reliever by the Orioles won over Helsley in the end, and it fills one of Baltimore’s most important vacancies.

He will be the closer in Baltimore. He could’ve been the closer elsewhere. He could’ve even been a starter, Helsley said, because the Detroit Tigers sought him out as one.

But when he met with reporters on a video call Wednesday, Helsley described what he felt was the ideal fit for both parties — and it involves him at the back end of the bullpen at Camden Yards.

“I’m just excited to be a part of it,” said Helsley, who noted that he spoke with Andrew Kittredge, Tyler O’Neill, Kyle Gibson, Jack Flaherty and Dylan Carlson — all of whom were former teammates on the St. Louis Cardinals — about the Orioles before signing.

“I think we’ll have a good bullpen, and hopefully we’ll keep adding and make our team a little stronger. We’re in a tough division, so it’s going to be a lot of fun this year with a lot of tight games. Other teams offered closer roles, too, but I was lucky enough to have stuff to choose and pick from. I think that made it hard in itself, to have options, but I’m thankful for that and glad to be here.”

The Orioles made it known a back-end reliever was a high priority, along with an outfielder and starting pitcher. They acquired Taylor Ward to help the lineup, and now with Helsley aboard, the next major acquisition should be a top-end starter (although that likely won’t mark the end of Baltimore’s work).

President of baseball operations Mike Elias said a closer would be a preferable addition because right-hander Félix Bautista will miss most of the season as he recovers from shoulder surgery. Helsley brings ample experience there, even if his 2025 numbers were the worst of his career.

Helsley, 31, saved 49 games with the Cardinals in 2024. Before a midseason trade last season to the Mets, Helsley closed out 21 more. He hit a rocky patch in New York, however, where he pitched to a 7.20 ERA in 20 innings.

That was an anomaly; in Helsley’s seven-year career, he holds a 2.96 ERA with 105 saves. There were multiple issues at play with the Mets, one being tipped pitches — when batters have an idea of what’s coming based on a certain movement Helsley made.

“You’ve really got to be buttoned up on this type of thing because guys are going to take every little advantage they can get and try to make it a little easier for them to hit,” Helsley said. “They had some stuff on me when I got there and I tried to work through it and thought I fixed it with my old mechanics and setup.

“Once you’re out there during the game, you’re not really thinking about that kind of stuff, so your old habits tend to creep back in. It wasn’t until I switched my posture and switched my hands that I think it really started to click, and obviously it was kind of a learning curve, an adjustment those first couple of outings trying to get used to my hands being there because it was so new and I pitched the same way for most of my career, so I think I got that ironed out and I think that would be something that will help me throughout the rest of my career.”

The pitching staff in Baltimore, led by coach Drew French, also offered insight on various ways Helsley could improve in Baltimore, beginning with his four-seam fastball. That offering, which can top 100 mph, was hit around last season.

Batters hit .422 against his four-seamer with a .667 slugging percentage. Helsley’s slider, by contrast, was a reliable weapon. It drew swings and misses 41.6% of the time and batters managed a .140 average against it.

“We had some good discussions,” Helsley said of the Orioles’ plans. “They didn’t lay out a full detailed plan in our meetings before I signed, but they had some ideas, and they have the resources to help me get back to where I want to be and help me get that feel back on my fastball and maybe add a pitch or two or refine some things.”

The Orioles are banking on Helsley to be a strong rebound candidate in Baltimore. Helsley is also banking on that. He signed a two-year, $28 million contract that includes an opt-out clause after the first season. Should Helsley put together another All-Star campaign, he could hit the open market once more and earn a more lucrative contract.

That opt-out provision was important, Helsley said. It helped tip the scale in Baltimore’s favor as to where to sign this winter.

And the Orioles, it appears, were willing to include it because of their focus on the present, rather than the future. Last season fell apart almost as soon as it began. With Helsley aboard — one signing in what could be a busy offseason cycle — they hope to bolster the roster enough to avoid a disappointing repeat.