Orioles, All-Star Closer Agree to Free-Agent Contract
The Baltimore Orioles have reached an agreement with veteran closer Craig Kimbrel on a contract, per mutliple reports.
Kimbrel is 35 and coming off a season with the Philadelphia Phillies in which he went 8-3 with a 3.26 ERA with 23 saves in 28 chances. He also had seven holds and struck out 94 hitters in 69 innings.
Kimbrel's deal is for $12 million in 2024 with an $13 million club option in 2025 with a $1 million buyout.
But, the Orioles are in need of a closer for 2024 after Mariano Rivera Reliever of the Year winner Félix Bautista partially tore the UCL in his pitching arm and required Tommy John surgery. The 28-year-old reliver is expected back in 2025.
Orioles fans are familiar with Kimbrel as he closed for the Boston Red Sox from 2016-18. Since signing a contract with the Chicago Cubs in 2019, he has bounced around to four teams in the past three seasons — the Cubs and the White Sox in 2021, the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2022 and then the Phillies last season.
Kimbrel has 417 career saves and from 2011-14 he either led the National League and/or Major League Baseball in saves as the closer for the Atlanta Braves, where he started as a rookie in 2010.
He’s one of the most decorated closers in the game, with nine All-Star Game selections, an NL Rookie of the Year award, a Rolaids Relief Man of the Year award, a two-time Reliever of the Year award (which is the same award Bautista won this year) and a World Series champion with Boston in 2018.
Kimbrel will provide some peace of mind to the back end of the pitching staff that features a young starting rotation that includes Dean Kremer, Kyle Bradish, Grayson Rodriguez and Tyler Wells. The Orioles are believed to still be in pursuit of at least one starting pitcher, either via free agency or by trade.
