Craig Kimbrel Set To Sign With Baltimore Orioles
Craig Kimbrel looks like he is gonna add a new stop to his already-successful career.
After being named an All-Star yet again with the Phillies, the future Hall-of-Fame closer is edging closer to signing with the Baltimore Orioles. The AL East winners have finally found some much-needed bullpen relief with Felix Bautista injured, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic confirmed the news Wednesday morning:
Free-agent reliever Craig Kimbrel close to deal with Orioles, source tells @TheAthletic. Late last night, @Joelsherman1 reported serious discussions.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 6, 2023
While he is not getting 40-50 saves like he did in Atlanta, the 35-year-old still has plenty left in the tank. He had a 3.26 ERA and 23 saves last season with the Philadelphia Phillies, good enough for his ninth career All-Star nod. Kimbrel owns a 2018 World Series ring, a 2011 Rookie of the Year award and Reliever of the Year honors in both the American League and National League.
If the stats didn’t tell you enough, his 1.043 WHIP was the lowest since the first half of the 2021 season when he was on the Cubs; his fastball-curveball combo is still as sharp as ever.
Big Winter In Birdland?
Kimbrel looks to be the first of what could be a big offseason in Baltimore. After taking the division by storm, they held the top seed in the American League behind Manager of the Year Brandon Hyde. Obviously, the young guns were not ready for the big stage, as the eventual champion Texas Rangers dispatched them in the ALDS in three games.
However, there is a lot to look forward to. For starters, we have not even seen 2022 No. 1 pick Jackson Holliday play in the majors yet. The No. 1 prospect in baseball has flown up the minor leagues and could very well be in the starting lineup come 2024. He will be yet another jewel in a crown that features Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson.
Furthermore, Mike Elias looks far from finished in the pitching market. His team is reportedly in the mix for White Sox ace Dylan Cease, who would elevate that rotation to new heights. With a boatload of prospects and their young studs on team-friendly contracts for a while, they have a lot of options for how to improve. The starting rotation and bullpen may look much different in a few months.
Craig Kimbrel is about to join the Baltimore Orioles following a strong year with the Phillies. It’s a really good fit and could be the first of many moves by the AL East Champions.
