Ryan Helsley still hopeful entering free agency despite disastrous Mets stint

How much did Ryan Helsley's struggles with the New York Mets cost him in free agency?

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The New York Mets made several moves ahead of the trade deadline that they thought would put them over the top for the stretch run. Unfortunately, most of their acquisitions didn’t pan out.

Arguably, the move that backfired the most was acquiring right-handed relief pitcher Ryan Helsley from the St. Louis Cardinals. One of the most dominant closers in baseball the last few years, adding him to the bullpen was viewed as a home run.

Many analysts liked the move for the Mets, viewing Helsley as a more than capable bridge to Edwin Diaz at the end of games. After leading the National League in saves in 2024, it would take a bit of an adjustment, but everyone was confident he would help the team win games.

Ryan Helsley was disastrous addition for Mets

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That quickly proved not to be the case. Helsley's addition ended up being disastrous for the franchise, recording several meltdowns out of the bullpen that directly impacted the team’s chances of making the postseason.

Originally viewed as someone who would cash in this offseason in free agency, the outlook on Helsley has changed drastically for the worse. He struggled mightily in New York, having to overcome a pitch tipping issue that led to opponents teeing off on him.

In 22 appearances with the Mets across 20 innings, the 31-year-old had a 7.20 ERA. He went 0-3 and had a -0.9 bWAR, contributing to the team’s epic collapse down the stretch.

Ryan Helsley holding out hope to strike in free agency

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Despite the brutal numbers, Helsley is still holding out confidence that he will be able to land a lucrative, long-term deal this winter. Speaking to Will Sammon of The Athletic (subscription required), he is also hoping teams still view him as a closer, not a middle reliever; Helsley noted that even the game's best players can struggle under the circumstances he faced, and that his last four seasons is far more indicative of what he can do on the field.

At the very least, he ended the season on a high note. Over his last six appearances, he threw seven shutout innings while allowing only three hits and three walks, along with six strikeouts. Despite command problems throughout his Mets tenure, the righty threw as hard as he usually does, with his velocity remaining among the highest in baseball.

The skill is clearly there for him to succeed as a late-game option; Helsley didn’t make the NL All-Star team twice in his career by accident. Being traded for the first time and putting unrealistic expectations and pressure on himself certainly contributed to the underwhelming results.

Read More: Ryan Helsley reveals one reason why he struggled so mightily with Mets

His track record speaks for itself, and that is what he hopes teams will pay more attention to than a disastrous two-month stretch in New York.

All it takes is one franchise to land the kind of deal he is seeking. With so many teams in need of bullpen help every offseason, Helsley should have no shortage of suitors. That last stretch of the 2025 campaign could certainly end up being his saving grace.