by Jack Paskoski
36-year-old veteran reliever Craig Kimbrel has officially been designated for assignment by the Baltimore Orioles.
A nine-time all-star, Kimbrel, having spent most of his Major League career with the Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, and Chicago Cubs, sees his future in question with the Orioles.
This move comes a day after Kimbrel gave up six earned runs on three hits and two walks in only two-thirds of an inning in the Orioles’ 10-0 loss to the San Francisco Giants.
The move is no shock to most fans, as Kimbrel has played well below his means for most of the season. He is far from his younger form and hasn’t lived up to expectations in Baltimore.
On the season, Kimbrel holds a 7-5 record with a 5.33 ERA in 52.1 innings and 23 saves with 6 blown saves.
Kimbrel has a 56-47 record, 2.59 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and 14.1 SO/9 in his career.
So, what went wrong for Kimbrel? It could be the natural regression that comes with an aging pitcher. He has lost some notable velocity and movement in his pitches, and hitters have been able to adjust and hit him all over the ballpark.
With the Baltimore Orioles struggling in the second half of the season, they felt like a major move needed to be made. Kimbrel has been one of the biggest problems of the otherwise well-off Oriole bullpen.
With less than ten games left, the Orioles will make their playoff push with one less notable arm in the pen. They will rely on other veteran guys like Seranthony Dominguez and Danny Coloumbe to fill in his spot.
Could this be the end of Kimbrel’s career? Or will another team take a chance on the future Hall of Fame closer who, just a couple of seasons ago, was one of the top arms in the league?