Browsing: Ryan

The Twins, who traded 10 players off their big league roster prior to the 2025 Trade Deadline, entered this offseason with three other big-name trade candidates: outfielder Byron Buxton and starting pitchers Joe Ryan and Pablo López.

Team president of baseball and business operations Derek Falvey has said repeatedly that his intention is not to further subtract from the roster but instead add to it. To that end, it does appear that those three key players will be staying in Minnesota.

According to a report on Friday by The Athleticâ€s Ken Rosenthal, the Twins are planning to hold on to Buxton, Ryan and López and build around them for 2026.

A source indicated to MLB.com this week that Buxton prefers to remain in Minnesota, but that if the Twins were to trade more current players for prospects, he would entertain the idea of a move that made sense for all parties. The 31-year-old outfielder has three years and $45 million remaining on his contract, and he has a full no-trade clause through 2026.

Buxton enjoyed one of the best seasons of his 11-year career in 2025, slugging a personal-best 35 home runs in 126 games, earning his second All-Star selection and receiving some down-ballot MVP votes.

Ryan was a first-time All-Star this past season and struck out 194 batters with only 39 walks in 171 innings. Multiple injuries limited López to just 75 2/3 frames, but he still posted a 2.74 ERA. From 2022-24, he averaged 202 Kâ€s and 186 1/3 innings per year.

As far as what the Twins could be looking to add during and after next weekâ€s Winter Meetings, multiple relief arms, a first baseman and improved defense in the middle infield could all be on their shopping list.

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With most teams having played at least 20 games, the NBA season has reached its quarter mark, so itâ€s time to take stock of what weâ€re seeing. Yesterday, we covered seven teams that stood outwith surprising starts to the 2025-26 NBA season. Some for better reasons than others. Today, we’re going to look at which individual players have provided some of the most impressive breakouts of the early season.

Austin Reaves – Guard, Los Angeles Lakers

Entering this season, Austin Reaves and the Lakers had to figure something out heading into his free agency next summer: Could he thrive and be the No. 2 offensive option they needed next to Luka Doncic? Twenty games into the season, the only question is how much the Lakers will have to pay Reaves next summer to keep him. He is averaging 28.1 points and 6.6 assists a game, has shown he can work next to Doncic when the Slovenian is healthy, and more importantly, showed he can take over the offense when Doncic is out — and even hit a game-winner.

“There’s a cadence right now to his game,” Lakers coach J.J. Redick said of Reaves. “He’s got a great understanding of when he has a good matchup. He’s got a great understanding of how to play with Luca [Doncic]. And so the flow state that every athlete kind of searches for. He’s just in that right now.”

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Reaves should be an All-Star this season and will be in the All-NBA conversation as well. All of which is going to earn him a massive pay raise this summer.

Jalen Duren – Center, Detroit Pistons

Last summer, when the Pistons and Jalen Duren talked extension to his rookie contract, Duren and his agent threw a big number on the table. Detroit balked. The Pistons had questions about how well Duren fit with Cade Cunningham and if he could defend the paint well enough as a big man.

Looking back, the Pistons probably should have taken Duren’s offer, because his play so far this season has earned him an even bigger payday. Duren is averaging 19.6 points a game on 66% shooting, plus he’s pulling down 11.8 rebounds a game. However, the raw numbers donâ€t begin to tell the story of how he fits in on offense. Duren has become Cunninghamâ€s best pick-and-roll partner: Detroit scores a league-best 1.45 points per possession when he is the pick-and-roll screener, and he is shooting 83.3% when he gets the ball back on the roll (stats via Basketball University).

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Then there is the key reason Duren looks like a first-time All-Star (and is maybe the frontrunner for Most Improved Player) — his defense. He has transformed from the guy teams tried to isolate against into a solid, physical defender that helps anchor the Pistons’ second-ranked defense. Duren is going to get paid this summer, and he will have earned it.

Alex Sarr – Center, Washington Wizards

Another big man who deserves to be getting more attention is Wizards center Alex Sarr. Yes, the Wizards are bad, but Sarr is part of an exciting future they have there (along with Kyshawn George, who Eric interviewed earlier in the season). Last season, Sarr was the 2nd overall pick in the NBA Draft but looked overmatched as a 19-year-old. He averaged 13 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.4 blocks per game but shot just 39.4% from the field and was taking over five three-pointers a game, despite shooting a 30% clip from deep. This season, he has become a far more efficient and effective scorer, averaging 19.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.0 blocks on 51.5% shooting.

Sarr is now taking almost six shots per game in the restricted area and shooting 74% on those looks after taking just 2.9 shots per game from that close last year and shooting 63.5%. Heâ€s also being used as a pick-and-roll screener 24% of the time with the team scoring 1.05 points per possession on those looks, which is up from the 0.79 points per possession they scored on his 26.3% pick-and-roll usage last year. Heâ€s also become a strong rim protector, as his 50.8% block rate ranks seventh among all NBA starters, and his 11.0 contested shots per game rank 2nd among all centers. Considering heâ€s only 20 years old, the ceiling is getting considerably higher for Sarr.

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Ryan Rollins – Guard, Milwaukee Bucks

There is perhaps no better story in basketball this year than Ryan Rollins. The Bucks guard has taken the long and winding road to get to this point. He was a second-round pick in 2022 out of Toledo and barely played for a veteran-led Warriors team. He was then traded in 2023 with Jordan Poole to Washington, where he played 10 games before being released because he was caught shoplifting. The Bucks then signed him to a two-way deal in 2024 when he had averaged about 5.5 minutes per game in 25 career games over two years. He wasnâ€t asked to do much last year, but played well in limited opportunities when Damian Lillard was injured, so the Bucks re-signed him to a three-year, $12 million deal. Bucks general manager Jon Horst said at the time that Rollins could outplay that deal, and boy has he ever.

With Kevin Porter Jr. hurt to start the year, Rollins was given a chance to start at point guard, and he hasnâ€t looked back. The 23-year-old is averaging 17.9 points, 5.9 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game. Heâ€s shooting 48.5% from the field and 39.4% from beyond the arc on 6.0 three-point attempts per game. He has earned the admiration of his teammates, like Giannis Antetokounmpo, and looks ot be a real part of the Bucks†future, whether that future contains Giannis or not.

Deni Avdija – Forward, Portland Trail Blazers

There are a few front office people around the league watching this breakout season from Deni Avdija in Portland and cringing, thinking about how their team had a chance to land him while Washington didnâ€t realize what they had, but their teams chose another direction.

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Portland did, and now they are benefiting from a physical 6â€8†forward who can run the floor, run the offense, and is leading the surprising Trail Blazers by averaging 25.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 6.1 assists a game, all while shooting 38% from 3-point range. He leads the league in drives, averaging 19.4 a game — thatâ€s more than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — and heâ€s shooting 50% when he does put his head down and go hard to the rim. On the other end of the court, he has fit in well with one of the high-pressure defense-into-offense teams around the league, and heâ€s been asked to guard bigger wings and has thrived in that role.

Even in the deep West, Avdija has to be a first-time All-Star this season. On a Portland team starting to build something serious, Avdija has become a cornerstone.

Keyonte George – Guard, Utah Jazz

Itâ€s a bit of a lost season in Utah with Walker Kessler out for the season, and Lauri Markkanen the subject of plenty of trade rumors. However, the Jazz have to be happy about what theyâ€ve seen from third-year guard Keyonte George. The 22-year-old has become a far more effective scorer on his drives and mid-range, which has led to him upping his scoring from 16.8 points per game to 22.8 points per game on 44.6% from the field, which is up from an identical 39.1% in each of his first two seasons. Heâ€s also getting to the free-throw line far more often, averaging 7.0 attempts per game after being at 4.3 last season.

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A big component of that is his newfound aggression. George is averaging 10.7 drives per game and shooting 47.1% on those drives. Last season, he averaged just 8.6 drives per game and shot 42.8% on them. Whatâ€s more, 76.5% of his drives end in points this year, which is a big increase from a 62.2% mark last year. George is now taking 5.5 shots per game in the paint after taking just 3.4 last year. Heâ€s also connecting on 50.9% this year after making just 41% of those last year. Weâ€ve also seen growth in his mid-range game, with him now taking 2.4 mid-range shots a game and connecting at 43.8%, which is a huge step up from last year, when he took just 1.2 mid-range shots a game at a 35.4% clip. Yes, George remains a subpar defender, and that will likely always be a component of his game, but his offensive improvements canâ€t be denied, and thatâ€s at least something for Jazz fans to be excited about.

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  Jesse RogersDec 2, 2025, 06:01 PM ET

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  Jesse joined ESPN Chicago in September 2009 and covers MLB for ESPN.com.

Former Korea Baseball Organization pitcher Ryan Weiss is in agreement with the Houston Astros on a one-year contract that guarantees him $2.6 million, sources told ESPN.

The deal, which is pending a physical, includes an option for 2027, allowing him to potentially exceed $10 million over the two years.

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Weiss, 28, was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2018, eventually pitching in the Independent League in 2023 and 2024 before signing with the Hanwha Eagles of the KBO. The right-hander was 16-5 with a 2.87 ERA in 30 starts last season, leading to at least a half dozen MLB teams having interest in him this winter, according to sources familiar with his situation.

Weiss will be given a chance to make the Astros’ rotation, which is in flux as ace Framber Valdez is a free agent and might not return. Weiss uses a fastball, curve and changeup combination that he honed in Korea over the past couple of years. He added a kick change late in the year, which MLB teams liked as well.

The Eagles wanted him back for next season, but there was enough interest by the Astros for Weiss to forgo a return to the KBO.

Weiss will make his MLB debut when he takes the mound next year.

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The Baltimore Orioles added Ryan Helsley to their bullpen on Saturday, agreeing to a two-year contract with the free agent reliever.

The 31-year-old Helsley has an opt-out after one season, according to a person familiar with the negotiations who confirmed the deal to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because it was pending a physical.

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Baltimore has been active as it looks to bounce back from a last-place finish in the AL East this year. The Orioles won the division in 2023 and made the playoffs as a wild card in 2024.

Outfielder Taylor Ward was acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Angels on Nov. 18. Injured closer Félix Bautista agreed to a $2.25 million, one-year contract with Baltimore on Nov. 21, avoiding arbitration.

Helsley became one of baseballâ€s best relievers while spending his first six-plus seasons with St. Louis. The right-hander went 3-1 with a 3.00 ERA and 21 saves this year before he was traded by the Cardinals to the New York Mets on July 30.

Helsley struggled in New York, going 0-3 with a 7.20 ERA in 22 appearances. He allowed four homers and 16 earned runs in 20 innings.

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The Athletic reported that Helsley was being looked at by some teams as a potential starter, but ESPN reported on Saturday that he was joining Baltimore in a relief role.

Helsley was selected by St. Louis in the fifth round of the 2015 amateur draft. The two-time All-Star made his major league debut in 2019.

Helsley had his best season in 2024, finishing with a 2.04 ERA and a major league-best 49 saves. He also struck out 79 batters in 66 1/3 innings.

He is 31-18 with a 2.96 ERA and 105 saves in 297 career games.

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The Orioles and closer Ryan Helsley have agreed to a two-year contract with an opt-out after the first season, according to MLB Network Insider Jon Heyman. The club hasn’t confirmed the deal, which is pending a physical.

Just a season ago, Helsley won the Trevor Hoffman Award as the best reliever in the National League and earned first-team All-MLB honors. That was 2024, when he also made the NL All-Star team and received some Cy Young Award votes, both for the second time in three years. In 65 games for the Cardinals that season, Helsley led the Majors with 49 saves (in 53 chances) and posted a 2.04 ERA with 79 strikeouts in 66 1/3 innings.

That performance capped a dominant three-season stretch for Helsley. While he missed some time with a right forearm strain in 2023, he was highly effective when healthy from 2022-24, with a 1.83 ERA, 82 saves and 12.1 strikeouts per nine innings. Opponents batted just .172 against him, with a .505 OPS.

Helsleyâ€s 2025 season hit a few early bumps in the road, but by the time the Cardinals dealt him to the Mets at the Trade Deadline — which came shortly after his 31st birthday — he seemingly had hit his stride. After putting up zeroes in 10 of his final 11 appearances with St. Louis, Helsley had his ERA down to 3.00, to go along with 21 saves.

Unfortunately for Helsley, who was heading toward free agency, things never clicked for him in Queens. He wound up going 0-3 and blowing all four of his save chances for a Mets team that narrowly missed a postseason berth. In 22 appearances for New York, Helsley allowed 16 earned runs (7.20 ERA), 25 hits and 11 walks over 20 innings, inflating his season ERA to 4.50.

Amid Helsleyâ€s struggles with the Mets, there was talk of correcting what he described as “glaring and obvious†pitch tipping issues. He did eventually close out the season on a positive note, with six straight scoreless appearances, spanning seven innings.

Originally a fifth-round pick by St. Louis in the 2015 Draft out of Northeastern State University in Oklahoma, Helsley debuted with the Cardinals in 2019. Over seven big league seasons, he owns a 2.96 ERA, 105 saves and 377 strikeouts across 319 2/3 innings.

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Ryan Helsley and the Baltimore Orioles have reportedly agreed to a two-year contract, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The deal is worth $28 million, according to The Athletic’s Katie Woo, and features a player opt-out clause after the 2026 MLB season.

The 31-year-old Helsley recorded 21 saves last season between his time with the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets.

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All 21 saves, however, came with the Cardinals before he was traded in July to the Mets. In New York, he pitched 20 innings in 22 games as a reliever with Edwin Diaz firmly entrenched in the closer’s role.

Helsley has pitched in seven seasons after being a fifth-round draft pick by the Cardinals in 2015 out of Northeastern State.

Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias said during the annual GM Meetings in Las Vegas earlier this month that a reliever with closing experience was high on his off-season priorities list. Félix Bautista will be out of action until late summer following right shoulder surgery, meaning the closer’s job was up for grabs.

What’s left for Elias? He’s taken care of the veteran hitter need after sending pitcher Grayson Rodriguez to the Los Angeles Angels for Taylor Ward. Next up would be a frontline starting pitcher.

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“My stated goal is to see if we can add somebody that fits into that tier,†Elias said. “That would be Plan A for our rotation.â€

The Orioles finished last in the AL East in 2025 with a 75-87 record and missed the playoffs for the first time in three seasons. After a down year, ownership has signaled its intention to spend this winter, hoping that the investment pays off with a return of playoff baseball.

“This is a group thatâ€s really enabling us to invest,” Elias said. “Weâ€re going to go out in the market, see what weâ€re able to do to improve the team. But weâ€ll definitely be behaving as buyers this season, whether itâ€s free agency or trade.â€

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Closer Ryan Helsley and the Baltimore Orioles are in agreement on a two-year, $28 million contract that includes an opt-out after the first season, sources told ESPN, continuing the remaking of Baltimore’s beleaguered pitching staff with one of the most sought-after relievers on the free agent market.

While multiple teams sought to sign Helsley as a starter, the 31-year-old right-hander chose to remain in the role that made him a two-time All-Star and will hand him the ninth inning for the Orioles while retaining the ability to reach the open market after 2026.

Helsley, whose deal is pending a physical, is the second bullpen addition of the winter for Baltimore, which reacquired right-hander Andrew Kittredge from the Cubs after dealing him to Chicago at the trade deadline. With a moribund pitching staff, the Orioles went 75-87 and finished in last place in the American League East after consecutive postseason berths.

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Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias trawled the free agent market for a late-inning option and landed on Helsley, who over his seven-year career has a 2.96 ERA in 319â…” innings with 377 strikeouts, 133 walks and 105 saves.

Among the lowest points were the final two months of Helsley’s 2025 season, when, following a deadline deal from St. Louis to the New York Mets, he posted a 7.20 ERA and allowed 36 baserunners in 20 innings. Coming off an All-Star showing for St. Louis in 2024, which included a National League-leading 49 saves and a 2.04 ERA, Helsley saved 21 games with a solid 3.00 ERA for the Cardinals before the deadline, when he was sent to the Mets for three prospects.

Acquired to deepen a New York bullpen anchored by closer and fellow free agent Edwin Diaz, Helsley struggled badly during his time with the Mets. He blew saves in three straight appearances in mid-August and spent most of the past month working in low-leverage situations as New York collapsed down the stretch and missed the postseason.

Baltimore saw more noise than signal in Helsley’s downturn and is banking on Helsley’s stuff — which pitch-quality metrics rate as some of the best in the game — returning him to dominance. Helsley deploys one of baseball’s hardest fastballs, which averaged 99.3 mph in 2025, according to Statcast, ranking in the 99th percentile of all pitchers.

With incumbent closer Felix Bautista expected to miss the 2026 seasons following rotator cuff and labrum surgeries in August, the Orioles entered the winter with only right-hander Yennier Cano and left-hander Keegan Akin as veteran bullpen options. Beyond Helsley and Kittredge, Baltimore could add another reliever, sources said. The Orioles’ need for pitching help isn’t limited to their bullpen, either. Following the trade of Grayson Rodriguez to the Los Angeles Angels for left fielder Taylor Ward, Baltimore continues to pursue starting-pitching options to join left-hander Trevor Rogers and right-hander Kyle Bradish at the top of their rotation, sources said.

A fifth-round pick out of Northeastern State in Oklahoma, Helsley was a full-time starter throughout the minor leagues until he joined the Cardinals’ big league roster. From 2022 to ’24, he was arguably the most valuable reliever in the NL, alongside right-hander Devin Williams, a free agent with whom the Orioles spoke as well.

ESPN’s Bradford Doolittle contributed to this report.

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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.

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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.

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The 31-year-old struggled to a 7.20 ERA and 1.80 WHIP across 22 appearances in orange and blue.

Now that he 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. “Iâ€ve shown who I am as a pitcher, And I think thereâ€s room for improvement, ways to get better and I get even more out of myself.â€

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It appears Ryan Helsleyâ€s forgettable finish with the Mets isnâ€t hurting him in free agency.

Helsley is drawing interest from about 15 teams, according to a recent report from Katie Woo of the Athletic.

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The right-hander, of course, has been one of the premier closers in baseball the past few seasons, but he struggled mightily down the stretch after being acquired from the Cardinals in a deadline deal.

He posted an ugly 7.20 ERA over 22 appearances as he dealt with pitch-tipping issues.

“It was the hardest thing Iâ€ve gone through as a pitcher in the big leagues,†Helsley told Woo.

Now that heâ€s got things sorted out, Helsley is confident he can get back to his dominant form wherever he lands.

He could be doing so in a new role too, as according to numerous reports some teams have called the long-time closer about a potential transition to the starting rotation.

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While Helsley expects a bit of a learning curve along the way, as Mets fans saw at times with Clay Holmes last season, itâ€s a move he told Woo he would consider if the opportunity arises.

“I still have a lot to give and can get even better,” he said. “Iâ€ve shown what I can do as a closer — itâ€s a fun time to be in the game, itâ€s the most important three outs, but I still think Iâ€m capable to be a starter.”

The Tigers are among the teams considering Helsley as a starter.

St. Louis and the division rival Cubs have also checked in on the hard-throwing right-hander.

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Ryan Helsley hasnâ€t started a game since 2019 — for Triple-A Memphis. The flamethrowing righty has spent his entire MLB career pitching out of the bullpen, even rising to elite closer status. But as he navigates free agency for the first time, a role change might be in order.

According to a report from The Athletic, multiple teams have expressed interest in the 31-year-old as a starting pitcher, including the Tigers.

From a business perspective, it could make sense for Helsley to consider the switch. For one, his stock is down after a rough 2025 season, during which he posted a 4.50 ERA — including a 7.20 ERA after joining the Mets in a July trade. That was a far cry from 2024, when he earned his second All-Star selection and won the 2024 Trevor Hoffman National League Reliever of the Year Award with 49 saves and a 2.04 ERA.

This yearâ€s closer market is also especially deep, with Edwin Díaz, Devin Williams, Robert Suarez, Pete Fairbanks and Kenley Jansen among the other available options, making it tougher for Helsley to stand out.

In contrast, high-end starters are in shorter supply. So if Helsley is willing to consider a change, it could offer him more possibilities in free agency. Heâ€s not the only one. Former starter turned reliever Brad Keller has similarly been linked to potential rotation opportunities, while Luke Weaver has said he is open to reprising his role as a starter, too.

Such a move is not without precedent. Seth Lugo, Michael King, Reynaldo López and Clay Holmes are among the pitchers who have made a successful transition from reliever to starter in recent years.

To follow in their footsteps, though, Helsley would likely need to expand his repertoire. He threw his slider and four-seamer a combined 92.9% of the time in 2025, while using his curveball (5.8%) and cutter (1.3%) sparingly. Moreover, his heater was largely ineffective last season. Despite throwing it 99.3 mph on average, he allowed a .422 batting average and a .667 slugging percentage on the pitch, posting a run value of -15.

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