The Baltimore Orioles signed right-hander Craig Kimbrel on Wednesday afternoon. The 35-year-old signed a one-year contract worth $13 million, and a club option for 2025.
Kimbrel has been in the majors for 14 years and has joined his seventh team. The Atlanta Braves drafted him 2008. The Braves traded him to the San Diego Padres in 2015. The Padres traded him again to the Boston Red Sox a year later. He signed a contract with the Chicago Cubs and played there until 2021. Kimbrel was a vital piece on the Cubs 2016 World Series team.
The Chicago Cubs traded Kimbrel to the White Sox in 2021. He most recently signed one-year contracts with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies.
Once known as a dominant closer, Kimbrel’s numbers have faltered over the last few seasons. He has an ERA of 4.19 over the last three seasons, but he does have 69 saves. Kimbrel had 50 saves in 2013, his most in a season in his career.
Kimbrel was a big offseason signing in Philadelphia. The Phillies were looking to bolster their bullpen fresh off a World Series appearance in 2022. Kimbrel had an up and down season, as the highs were really high, but the lows were really low. He earned the save in Game 1 of the NLCS, but also gave up lots of hits late in that series. His collapse paired with the Phillies cold hitting allowed the Arizona Diamondbacks to come back and win the series.
Lots of fans in Baltimore aren’t happy with the move, but it’s a short-term one. Felix Bautista is out for the entire 2024 season. This move grants the team another reliever to fill his absence. The Orioles will most likely use Kimbrel as a set-up man for Perez, Cano or Wells. He’s not the Craig Kimbrel of old, but he can chew up innings for a team needing bullpen help.
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