Orioles appoint Craig Kimbrel to new assignment

The Orioles announced on Wednesday that they have signed the experienced right-hander Craig Kimbrel for the assignment. Baltimore has recalled the right-hander Bryan Baker from Triple-A Norfolk in his place.

Kimbrel, 36, was signed to a one-year, $13 million deal in the winter after being an All-Star closer. Felix Bautista had to undergo Tommy John surgery last October. The club counted on Kimbrel's track record and excellent strikeout rate to help him solidify the ninth inning, even after Kimbrel finished his 2023 stint with the Phillies on a shaky finish – including three innings in the NLCS in which he allowed four runs.

At least early in the year, Kimbrel was generally effective, even when balancing on a tightrope. His walk rate was higher, but so was his strikeout rate, and despite four blown saves in the first half of the season, he threw for a pristine 2.10 earned run average. As things have spiraled out of control since the All-Star break, he has given up the ninth inning to deadline pickup and former Phillies teammate. Seranthony Dominguez.

Since July 14, Kimbrel has allowed 25 runs (23 earned) in 18 innings. He has allowed 23 hits (including five home runs), walked 17 batters, and struck out a hitter during that disastrous run. The turning point was a six-run collapse in yesterday's loss to the Giants. Kimbrel faced eight batters, allowed three hits (two singles and a double), walked two hitters, and allowed a runner to advance on a wild pitch. This was his worst and likely last appearance of the 2024 season.

Kimbrel will be placed on waivers and will surely be released. He would then be ineligible for the postseason with another club, and a claiming team would have to pay the prorated remainder of this year's $12 million salary and the $1 million severance pay for next year's club option. No team will make that move. He will be placed on waivers and released, and then the club option will be void (though the O's still owe him that $1 million severance pay). He could sign with any other club for the final few days of the season, but it's possible he'll just wait until the offseason to look for his next opportunity.

Kimbrel's second half was so atrocious that it overshadowed his excellent first half, but a streak of two bad months shouldn't diminish interest in him over the winter. He's no longer the dominant, high-impact force he once was, but he's still struck out 31.5% of his opponents this season and posted a strong 11.8% swinging strike rate. His fastball has dropped from an average of 95.8 mph in 2023 to 93.9 mph in 2024, according to Statcast. He seems unlikely to land a job as a closer this offseason, but assuming he wants to keep pitching, Kimbrel should find interest in cheaper major league contracts — perhaps with incentives based on games completed in the event he moves back into the closer role in his next destination.

Kimbrel currently ranks fifth on the all-time list with 440 saves, just six behind another active closer, Kenley Jansen, at fourth on that list. Either pitcher could still catch Lee Smith for third on the all-time list (478), but getting over 600 alongside Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman is out of the question. In 809 2/3 career innings, Kimbrel has a 2.59 ERA, 56 wins, 26 holds and 1265 strikeouts (38.8%), in addition to those 440 saves.