Félix Bautista, Orioles Agree to 2-Year Contract; Closer to Have Tommy John Surgery | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

Baltimore Orioles closer Félix Bautista agreed to a two-year contract on Saturday, but it was also announced that he will undergo Tommy John surgery.

According to Steve Melewski of MASN Sports, Orioles general manager Mike Elias announced Saturday that Bautista will undergo Tommy John surgery in the next week or two, meaning he will miss the playoffs and likely the entire 2024 season.

Bautista and the Orioles also agreed to a guaranteed deal through 2025, which would have been his first arbitration year.

In late August, the Orioles place Bautista on the injured list with an injury to the UCL in his throwing elbow. Bautista recently began throwing again, but the decision was made to shut him down and opt for surgery.

Prior to getting injured, the 28-year-old Bautista was in the midst of his second MLB season and had established himself as arguably the best closer in baseball.

In 56 appearances, Bautista was 8-2 and converted 33 of his 39 save opportunities. He also posted a 1.48 ERA and 0.91 WHIP with 110 strikeouts in 61 innings.

Bautista was so dominant that he was firmly in the American League Cy Young Award conversation, and could have potentially become the first reliever to win the Cy Young since 2003 when Los Angeles Dodgers closer Éric Gagné took home National League honors.

Last season, Bautista made his Major League debut at the age of 26 and instantly became a key part of the Orioles' bullpen, going 4-4 with 15 saves, a 2.19 ERA, a 0.92 WHIP and 88 strikeouts in 65.2 innings.

As a result, Bautista entered this season as Baltimore's clear-cut closer, and he earned his first All-Star selection.

Since Bautista has been on the shelf, the O's have mixed and matched in save situations to some degree.

Yennier Canó has been the main option with eight saves on the season, but manager Brandon Hyde has also turned to lefty Cionel Pérez at times, resulting in three saves.

The Orioles entered play Saturday with a 100-60 record, marking their first 100-win season since 1980. They also won the AL East for the first time since 2014.

Baltimore has largely been carried by a talented lineup led by Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman and Anthony Santander, but the team's pitching has far exceeded expectations as well, ranking seventh in MLB with a team ERA of 3.92.

Bautista was a massive part of the Orioles' pitching success, but it will take a group effort out of the bullpen in order for the O's to make a deep postseason run.