After agreeing to a one-year, $13 million deal with Craig Kimbrel in December, the Baltimore Orioles are parting ways with the Future Hall of Famer, and designating him for assignment.
The team announced the change on X, formerly known as Twitter.
In what will go remembered as his final appearance with the Orioles, Kimbrel gave up six runs in just two-thirds of the ninth inning of a September 17 loss to the San Francisco Giants.
Kimbrel had a 10.59 ERA since the All-Star Break and had obviously lost his role as Baltimore’s go-to closer in save situations before his awful appearance against the Giants. His 31 RBIs allowed this year are the second-most of his career.
It’s unknown whether or not the 36-year-old will pursue another opportunity this season, with the playoffs only weeks away. But with a historic resume like Kimbrel’s it’s unlikely he’ll stay unemployed.
Baltimore recalled righty Bryan Baker as a part of the transaction. He’s tossed 21 innings in MLB this season and has a 4.71 ERA.
Brandon Hyde on DFA’ing Craig Kimbrel: ‘Tough Day’
Kimbrel’s troubles with the Orioles doesn’t affect his championship pedigree. Nor the respect that comes with that throughout the dugout.
Team skipper Brandon Hyde told reporters that it’s a terrible day for Baltimore, as the team designated the Future Hall of Famer.
“Tough day,” Hyde stated on September 18, according to Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports. “We have so much respect for Craig and his career and what he’s done for the game, how long he’s pitched, how long he’s pitched well. So it’s never easy to say goodbye to somebody who’s done a lot.”
Hyde went on to credit a slow second half for Kimbrel’s ultimate failure with the Orioles.
“I just think he never got rolling in the second half,” Hyde concluded. “He had that one reset in the first half and that really helped him. He had a lot of success for two months simply closing out and pitching in close games and doing a tremendous job for us, and then right at the end of the first half, the game here against New York, that was a struggle, and never really rolling until the All-Star break after that.”
Kimbrel was lights out in the first half of the year. Over his 39 appearances previous to the All-Star Break, he earned a 2.80 ERA via 35.1 innings thrown, striking out 53 of his 141 batters faced.
In his 18 appearances since, Kimbrel had a 10.59 ERA over 17 innings.
James McCann on Craig Kimbrel: He ‘Meant A Lot To This Team’
Backup catcher James McCann spoke with media following Kimbrel’s dismissal. He mirrored a lot of what Hyde said previously, but from a player’s perspective.
“It’s tough walking in and seeing his locker empty,” McCann remarked, according to Kubatko. “Craig meant a lot to this team throughout the season. Arguably having an All-Star first half, was really big for us. Who he was as a player on the field for us was crucial, but also who he was in this clubhouse, being an experienced man, fun-loving guy, made the clubhouse a better place.”
McCann went on to compare the feeling to that of being colleagues with Francisco Rodriguez.
“I caught Francisco Rodríguez at the end of his career,” McCann continued. “When he first up he was blowing 100 by everyone, and by the end of his career he was throwing more changeups than he was fastballs because his fastball was 88-to-91. So that’s something that occurs to a lot of men is they have to figure out a new pitch repertoire. Obviously they’re not altering pitches but maybe their usage, and it was something that he struggled and maybe attempted to remedy, and unfortunately it just didn’t happen quick enough or didn’t happen.”
Kimbrel had been ailing for some time. His last save came in July. For a Baltimore team ailing in so many aspects, and already down multiple pitchers, it’s addition by subtraction with playoffs just weeks away.