Does Helsley’s signing mean Tyler Wells is in Orioles’ starting rotation in ’26? | MAILBAG

Question: Does the recent signing of Ryan Helsley mean Tyler Wells will be a starter, or is it possible he becomes the “long man in the ‘pen”? From: Richard Thorpe

Answer: Rich, for now, the Orioles need Tyler Wells in the rotation. I’m sure the team will add perhaps two new starters either by trade or free agency, but for the moment the Orioles have only Kyle Bradish, Trevor Rogers and Dean Kremer as accomplished starters.

Wells would fit in ahead of Cade Povich and Brandon Young, and while the Orioles have some other starters who pitched for Norfolk last season — Trey Gibson, Nestor German and Levi Wells — I think they’d like to see them have more minor league experience.

If all of their starters are healthy, maybe they’d think about putting Wells in the bullpen later in the season.

Helsley’s signing really didn’t change their thinking about Tyler Wells.

Question: With the upcoming expiration of the CBA, what impact do you think this will have on the O’s and other MLB teams as far as signing free agents and making trades? From: TheOBXR

Answer: So far, I don’t see any impact on free-agent signings or trades. The Collective Bargaining Agreement doesn’t expire for almost a year, and I’m sure it will be a topic of conversation at next week’s Winter Meetings.

If you ask this question later in the offseason when we’ve had more activity, perhaps I can give you a better answer, but for now, things appear to be status quo.

Most weekdays, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. If you’d like to submit a question, send it to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com. Questions may be edited for clarity, length and style.