The Orioles’ pitching staff has come into clearer focus the past few days.
Look, it’s never easy replacing the No. 1 closer in the game. Doubt it? Ask former Mets skipper Buck Showalter about the impact of Edwin Díaz’s season-ending injury at the World Baseball Classic. That one injury didn’t bury the Mets, but it sure set in motion the early-season implosion of their pitching staff.
Orioles GM Mike Elias made it clear with the one-year, $13 million contract he gave to Craig Kimbrel to come into Baltimore that the dominoes wouldn’t fall the wrong way come the end of games in 2024.
Kimbrel, one of the best closers in the history of the game, is now reduced to being a one-year mercenary. He clearly isn’t always going to be “on” the way “on” meant in his heyday with the Braves, Padres and Red Sox. Sure, he isn’t Josh Hader, but Hader would have cost much closer to $20 million per year for four or five years.
The other two names available were Aroldis Chapman, who I wouldn’t have wanted in my clubhouse. His analytics may look far better than what I saw. But what I saw is at the most important time of a championship run, Rangers manager Bruce Bochy, one of the best of all time, was trying his best to not use Chapman.
Robert Stephenson, who the Rays acquired midseason, is the flavor of the month that the O’s kicked the tires on. Those tires turned out to be quite expensive for a guy I love, but he only has three saves at 31 years old. He’ll sign a four-year contract somewhere — maybe with the Yankees, Rangers, Dodgers or Astros. But at the end of the day, $35 million to $40 million was too much to spend for an arm best suited to be a setup star, not a proven closer.
Before I actually talk about Kimbrel, I want to backtrack for a quick minute to say that this $13 million signing really made clear why the team elected not to offer Kyle Gibson a chance to return to Charm City. Gibson, who made $10 million last year, may very well have come back for about $12 million for one year. But in that moment, Elias knew he needed to reallocate those dollars to replace Bautista.
The decision he made signals to me that Tyler Wells likely comes back into the rotation when spring training opens in early February.
I like Wells as a relief pitcher. But twice during the past six weeks or so as co-host of Glenn Clark Radio on Fridays, I have talked to folks who feel exactly the opposite. FOX Sports analyst and Hall of Famer John Smoltz was adamant that Wells should go back into the rotation. Gibson agreed with Smoltz.
With this acquisition of Kimbrel, it’s become clear to me that Elias agrees with Smoltz and Gibson.
I still feel confident that Elias will also pull off a meaningful trade for a starting pitcher, and I also feel confident Elias will elevate the bullpen once again as part of that deal.
Kimbrel will turn 36 on May 28. It doesn’t take a weatherman to know which way the wind blows. The 6-foot, 215-pound right-hander isn’t as dominant as he was for the first nine years of his career. Here’s what the last five seasons have looked like for Kimbrel following the 2018 season with the Red Sox:
| IP | ERA | K | BB | WHIP | |
| 2019 (CHC) | 20.2 | 6.53 | 30 | 12 | 1.60 |
| 2020 (CHC) | 15.1 | 5.28 | 28 | 12 | 1.44 |
| 2021 (CHC, CWS) | 59.2 | 2.26 | 100 | 23 | 0.91 |
| 2022 (LAD) | 60 | 3.75 | 72 | 28 | 1.32 |
| 2023 (PHI) | 69 | 3.26 | 94 | 28 | 1.04 |
The Orioles have a lot of work to do to be ready to defend their AL East crown — not just because of deficiencies they may have as a team, but the rest of the division will be improved.
This signing of Craig Kimbrel signals they are serious about sensibly building a better team. This signing doesn’t mean Kimbrel will be Félix Bautista, Zack Britton or Jim Johnson, but the veteran right-hander will make sure the Orioles’ bullpen has a seasoned leader.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Philadelphia Phillies