BALTIMORE—It’s never easy for a manager to let a player go, and harder still when a player has the resume of Craig Kimbrel, whom the Orioles designated for assignment on Wednesday.
Brandon Hyde always hates this part of the business, and even though Kimbrel had failed to produce, it was a hard day.
“We have so much respect for Craig and his career, what he’s done for he game, how long he’s pitched,” Hyde said.
Kimbrel was a nine-time All-Star, reliever of the year in both leagues and with 440 saves, fifth-most in history.
“He’s a Hall of Famer,” Hyde said. “To have that conversation about it, it’s never easy.”
Kimbrel had two excellent months for the Orioles, but ended 7-5 with a 5.33 ERA and 23 saves, none in the second half.
“A heck of a first half, helped us win a ton of games.,” Hyde said. “He’s an amazing teammate. He’s incredible in the clubhouse. Just a class, class act.
“He never got rolling in the second half. He had that one reset in the first half that really helped him.”
Kimbrel allowed a career-high six runs while recording two outs in his final appearance with the Orioles in the ninth inning of Tuesday night’s 10-0 loss to the San Francisco Giants.
“To be able to pitch in the innings he’s pitched for that long in that type of pressure, there’s only a handful of guys that’s been able to do that,” Hyde said. “I have a ton, a ton of respect for that.”
Kimbrel pitched for eight teams in a career that began in 2010.
“Craig meant a lot to this team throughout the season,” said catcher James McCann, who lives near Kimbrel in suburban Nashville and caught him in the offseason as well as with the Orioles.
“Arguably had an All-Star first half; was very big for us, so who he was as a player on the field was important, but also he was in this clubhouse, being a veteran guy, a fun-loving guy. He made the clubhouse a better place.”
McCann knew Kimbrel wasn’t the same pitcher in the second half.
“It’s been tough watching him grind, trying to make adjustments, to try and figure out what’s going on,” he said. “You feel for teammates when they’re going through tough times, but especially when they’re such a good teammate, such a good person like Craig Kimbrel is.”
Relief pitcher Seranthony Domínguez, who has become the team’s closer, was Kimbrel’s teammate in Philadelphia in 2023 and with the Orioles.
“I feel really sad right now. He’s a great teammate,” Domínguez said. “A great guy. He always cares about everybody in the bullpen. He was a leader for us.”
Yennier Cano spent the season in the bullpen with Kimbrel.
“He’s had a great career. He’s had a lot of success in this league,” Cano said through a translator. “The last couple of months may not have gone the way that he may have wanted, but we know the type of pitcher that he is. He’s been great throughout his whole career. Difficult news, for sure.”
Notes: Cano, who hasn’t pitched since September 11th because of soreness in his right forearm, was available on Tuesday, and is available for Wednesday’s game. … Infielders Ramón Urías and Jordan Westburg will begin rehab assignments at Triple-A Norfolk on Thursday. … The Tides will start Chayce McDermott in the first game of Wednesday’s doubleheader. McDermott has been out with a right scapula stress reaction. … Right-hander Colin Selby is on the taxi squad for Wednesday’s game.