Craig Kimbrel designated for assignment by O's

BALTIMORE -- The Orioles thought Craig Kimbrel still had “a lot in the tank,” as general manager Mike Elias put it at the Winter Meetings. There was confidence in the veteran right-hander to serve as a one-year stopgap for All-Star closer Félix Bautista, out for the 2024 season following Tommy John surgery.

For three months, it worked. Then, it went wrong.

After a near-All-Star-caliber first half, Kimbrel’s disastrous second half resulted in the 36-year-old getting designated for assignment by Baltimore on Wednesday afternoon. It marks the end of a brief-but-tumultuous tenure with the O’s for the potential future Hall of Famer.

“We have so much respect for Craig and his career and what he’s done for the game, how long he’s pitched, how long he’s pitched well,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “So it’s never easy to say goodbye to someone that’s done a lot. A heck of a first half for us, helped us win a ton of games. He’s an amazing teammate. He’s incredible in the clubhouse and just a class, class act.”

Kimbrel, who had a 5.33 ERA over 57 appearances, signed a one-year, $12 million deal with the Orioles in December. The contract featured a $13 million team option for 2025, as well as a $1 million buyout should that not get exercised.

In the first half, Kimbrel lived up to expectations. Through July 7, he had a 2.10 ERA and 23 saves over 38 appearances.

It wasn’t quite to the level of Bautista, who had a 1.48 ERA and 33 saves over 56 appearances while helping the O’s go 101-61 to win the American League East in 2023. But Kimbrel was pitching well enough to help contribute to the success of the team, which went 58-38 in the first half.

“I just wanted Craig to be himself. It wasn’t him trying to replace Bautista,” Hyde said. “I just wanted him to do the best job he could at the end of the game.”

After July 7, Kimbrel posted an 11.50 ERA in 19 outings. He went 0-for-2 in save opportunities, eventually getting replaced by righty Seranthony Domínguez, who was acquired in a trade with the Phillies on July 26.

Kimbrel’s final outing for Baltimore was the worst of his 15-year big league career. In Tuesday’s 10-0 loss to the Giants, he allowed six earned runs in two-thirds of an inning. He had never yielded more than four runs in any of his previous 836 MLB appearances.

“There were flashes of it throughout the course of the second half, and it just didn’t go his way,” veteran catcher James McCann said. “I think, for him, he’s got a Hall of Fame track record, and unfortunately, there was a rough patch for a couple of months. But for us in here, it doesn’t change who he was as a teammate, and it definitely doesn’t change what he’s done in his career.”

Kimbrel ranks fifth in MLB history with 440 saves. He’s behind only Mariano Rivera (652), Trevor Hoffman (601), Lee Smith (478) and Kenley Jansen (446).

“He’s a Hall of Famer for me. And so to have that conversation about it, about, ‘Is this the time?’ That’s never easy,” Hyde said. “Craig’s done some amazing things in his career. I have a ton, a ton of respect for that.”

Right-hander Bryan Baker was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk to take Kimbrel’s spot on the Orioles’ active roster. The club’s 40-man roster now has 37 players.

While Domínguez has been handling the ninth, Hyde has left open the possibility of using other relievers in save opportunities depending on matchups. Top lefty reliever Danny Coulombe (left elbow surgery) is nearing a return. Also, setup men Yennier Cano and Cionel Pérez are capable of being used in high-leverage spots.

The back end of Baltimore’s bullpen has been solid in the second half despite Kimbrel’s ineffectiveness, and members of that relief corps expect that to continue -- especially once Coulombe (a 2.42 ERA and a 0.62 WHIP in 29 games this year) returns to the fold.

“When the playoffs come around, it can be quick, and things happen so fast,” Cano said through team interpreter Brandon Quinones. “But to have another guy who can get the job done and do it at a high level, it’s going to be big for us.”