The Baltimore Orioles Finally Cut Bait With Craig Kimbrel

The Baltimore Orioles finally had enough of Craig Kimbrel. The 36-year-old closer, finishing up a one-year, $13 million contract, was designated for assignment Wednesday after a horrendous second half.

Even before he yielded six runs to San Francisco Tuesday, Kimbrel was on thin ice. He had lost his job as a closer and posted brutal statistics after July 14. Bastille Day struck the hard-throwing right-hander especially hard. Since that time, he allowed five home runs in 18 innings, giving up 25 runs (23 earned) and 23 hits plus 17 walks.

Originally signed by Baltimore after incumbent closer Felix Bautista went down with Tommy John elbow surgery last fall, Kimbrel started well, with a 2.10 earned run average and a solid strikeout rate. After converting 23 of his first 28 save chances, however, Kimbrel hit hard times, posting a 10.59 ERA in 18 second-half outings before losing his job as closer.

Kimbrel's Struggles and the Orioles' Decision

Signing Kimbrel in the first place almost seemed like a move made out of desperation; he pitched poorly for Philadelphia in the playoffs last October and the Phillies were not inclined to keep him. On the other hand, the 6-0, 215-pound native of Huntsville, AL still has statistics that could send him to Cooperstown: a 2.59 career ERA and 14.1 strikeouts per nine innings over 15 seasons, divided among eight different teams.

The one-time National League Rookie of the Year led the Senior Circuit in saves for four straight seasons, 2011-14, and made the All-Star team nine times. Kimbrel ranks fifth with 440 saves and is only six behind fellow closer Kenley Jansen for fourth on the lifetime list. Either pitcher could catch Hall of Famer Lee Smith for third all-time at 478 but climbing beyond 600 alongside Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman isn’t likely.

Known for peering into his catcher with his arms arched like a human DeLorean, the bearded pitcher had been hampered by bouts of wildness. That uncertainty, plus a calendar that shows him approaching his 37th birthday next May, could hamper Kimbrel’s ability to win a new deal.

Any club that claims him off waivers would have to pay a pro-rated portion of his contract. If he’s released, however, any signing club would only have to pay a pro-rated portion of the major-league minimum while the Orioles pay what’s left of his remaining guaranteed contract, which contains a $1 million buyout.

Bryan Baker was promoted from Triple-A Norfolk to take Kimbrel’s roster spot, though trade acquisition Seranthony Dominguez had already claimed his job.

Kimbrel's Impact on the Orioles

Cutting him with less than two weeks remaining on the schedule reportedly did not sit well with starter Corbin Burnes, a prospective free agent who called Kimbrel a clubhouse leader. Baltimore hopes to re-sign Burnes, who arrived from the Milwaukee Brewers in a trade last winter.

Kimbrel leaves Baltimore with a 7-5 record and 5.33 ERA. His second-half stumbles were one of the big reasons the Orioles blew a first-half lead in the American League East and fell to four-and-a-half games behind the New York Yankees on Wednesday. He would not qualify for the playoffs if he’s signed by a team that reaches post-season play.

The Orioles' Bold Move

It is extremely difficult to take on the task of hurting someone’s pride by telling the truth. It can be even harder to do this for a complex organization. Bureaucratic concerns and hoops often get in the way of true sincerity. But on Wednesday the Orioles told an important truth to their biggest offseason free agent — and, by extension, themselves. Craig Kimbrel was no longer pitching well enough to keep a spot on the team.

Although it was an admission of a long-arriving conclusion, it felt bold. Kimbrel, 36, is the fifth all-time leader in saves, brought in expressly to cover the Orioles for the 2024 season while Félix Bautista is on the mend from Tommy John surgery. He may be a Hall of Famer one day, and at times he even pitched like a Hall of Famer who probably should have been an American League All-Star.

But no more. After he allowed a career-high six runs (or a career low, depending on how you look at it) in the ninth inning of Tuesday’s 10-0 loss to San Francisco, the Orioles designated Kimbrel for assignment.

They could have gently ushered him out, putting him on the injured list with some sort of phantom soreness. They could have honored his early-season contributions by keeping him on the roster, even if they didn’t think he would turn it around.

But both those moves would have been dishonest, and therefore both would have been the wrong thing to do.

It might have once been unthinkable, but it is undoubtedly the right move for a franchise that needs every arm on the roster helping row toward the postseason. It’s one of the more brassy moves I can remember from GM Mike Elias, and it shows integrity in the organizational approach. It’s not a move that every team has the wherewithal to pull off.

My own experience probably contributes to my surprise that the Orioles did it.

Learning from the Lakers

One thing that often frustrated me during my years covering the Los Angeles Lakers was how the organization seemed to care more about perception than substance. This truly came back to bite them after trading for Russell Westbrook, the triple-double king and a future Hall of Famer, who almost immediately underachieved.

The team floundered as it debated how to handle his struggles. Neither the general manager nor the coach had the fortitude to move him to a bench role, even though that was the most obvious place for him. His teammates showed public support for him in the locker room, even as they grumbled at his miscues in other settings. Westbrook got more cross and frustrated as he sensed the words he heard coming from his teammates, coaches and front office didn’t ring with authenticity.

It took more than a year and a half for all parties to finally move on when Westbrook was traded — even though the roster had curdled a long time before then and one of his head coaches had been fired.

This isn’t an apples-to-apples comparison because Kimbrel’s role with the Orioles was smaller than Westbrook’s with the Lakers, and because, for a time, Kimbrel was effective. In the first half of the season, he piled up 23 saves (as many as he had for Philadelphia all of last season, and still tied for 14th most in the league this year) with a 2.80 ERA.

His signing cannot be considered a failure in the sense that Kimbrel’s first half is a big reason the Orioles — for as much as they’ve languished lately — are in position to go to the postseason for the second straight year.

The Orioles' Decision to Move On

But, after he began to spiral and blow saves in July, the Orioles recognized that the 36-year-old was probably on the decline for good. They moved him out of the closer role and tried to find other ways to use him. It didn’t work, spectacularly so, but the organization gave him a chance to find a role in lower-leverage situations. Kimbrel can’t say it didn’t.

The Orioles exhausted the options for Kimbrel. Then finally, they designated him.

It’s unclear what effect the move has truly had on the clubhouse, but the intended messaging feels straightforward: Earn your keep. The past few weeks of stagnancy reflect a team looking for leadership and urgency. Kimbrel’s exit ought to stir the Orioles up to find both of those things.

Although the recent record of teams colors the public opinion of their decision-makers, a surefire sign of a functional one is that it prioritizes winning over perception. In cutting bait with Kimbrel, the Orioles showed which of those values comes first in Baltimore.

What This Move Means for the Orioles' Future

The Orioles made a difficult but ultimately necessary decision in releasing Craig Kimbrel. It’s a sign of their commitment to winning now and prioritizing their long-term goals. While it might not be the most popular move with some fans, it demonstrates the organization’s willingness to make tough choices for the betterment of the team. Only time will tell how this move will impact the Orioles' playoff chances. However, it is clear that the team is committed to building a winning culture, and this move is a testament to that commitment.