Closing baseball games is never an easy task in Major League Baseball.
With Félix Bautista having that role for the Orioles the last two seasons, ninth inning meltdowns have been very few and far between.
However, 2024 is a new year and with an unfortunate UCL tear sidelining Bautista for the entire campaign, O’s GM Mike Elias set his sights on veteran closer Craig Kimbrel, figuring what better man to fill Bautista’s shoes than the current fifth all-time saves leader, who will soon hear his name called in Cooperstown.
All offseason, the Orioles were linked to closers, trying to find a reliable option to bridge the gap until Bautista’s return. In a somewhat out of character move, Elias landed Kimbrel on a one-year, $13 million contract.
Many fans were skeptical of Kimbrel, who did pitch to a 3.26 ERA for the Phillies in 2023 but saw that balloon to 6.00 in the postseason, ultimately being a key reason for Philadelphia’s disappointing NLCS exit.
Kimbrel’s Oriole tenure would get off to a rocky start, blowing his first save attempt of the season to a pesky Royals team. Jordan Westburg luckily saved the day, sending Orioles fans home happy, but nonetheless, concerns on the veteran closer were only mounting.
It wasn’t all bad, though. Kimbrel’s next 10 outings were all scoreless, striking out 15 over 10 innings, collecting seven saves in seven opportunities and bringing his season ERA down to just 0.82.
Not to say some Orioles fans weren’t still skeptical, but many started to believe Kimbrel was a seamless fit to hold down the fort until the return of Bautista in 2025.
Unfortunately, there is a reason I’m writing this article, and since his April 24 save against Oakland, it has been tough sledding for the future Hall of Famer.
In his last five outings, Kimbrel has had five save opportunities and has just one save to show for it. His ERA in this span sits at 23.14, along with a WHIP of 5.57.
He may have hit rock bottom on Saturday against the Reds after nearly blowing a two-run lead in the ninth, before manager Brandon Hyde had seen enough and went to Yennier Canó, who escaped a bases loaded, one-out jam and secured the O’s win.
Kimbrel has seemed to have been battling a back injury, which can definitely be a contributing factor to his wild command of late. He seems especially ineffective when pitching for a second day in a row, which also makes the life of Hyde much tougher.
I do think Kimbrel can find a role on this team and be a helpful contributor down the line. However, it seems more than clear not only to fans but also to Hyde that Kimbrel’s days as a dominant closer are over.
Regardless, after another shaky outing against the Nationals Wednesday night, Hyde says that the organization will be sticking with Kimbrel, saying they need to get him right.
Should the Orioles pursue a closer at this year’s trade deadline, or is a “closer by committee” role set to take over the reigns in Baltimore? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Twitter (X) and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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