WASHINGTON, DC – On Wednesday, the Baltimore Orioles signed Craig Kimbrel, a reliever, to a one-year, $13 million deal.
The right-hander, who will turn 36 in May, will also receive performance bonuses as part of the deal that was finalized on the last day of baseball’s winter meetings. Kimbrel, who is making his eighth All-Star appearance after spending last season with the Philadelphia Phillies, will join the Orioles.
The AL East champion Orioles announced the deal’s inclusion of a 2025 club option in a social media post. When All-Star closer Félix Bautista is out with a Tommy John injury, Kimbrel steps in to aid.
It seems to me that going into this, both sides are thinking of it as something that could last for two years. GM Mike Elias of the Baltimore Orioles expressed optimism about the situation. “The plan is for him to be the closer.”
Kimbrel, whose Boston Bruins won the 2018 World Series, appeared in 71 games for the Philadelphia Phillies previous year. He hadn’t played in 70 or more games since 2011, and this was just the second time in his career that he had done so.
In a season that ended in a seven-game loss to Arizona in the National League Championship Series, he was 8-6 with a 3.26 ERA and 23 saves for the Philadelphia Phillies. His 69 innings of strikeouts were his best since 2021, when he had 100 while playing for the Chicago Cubs and the White Sox.
After a 2.21 ERA in his last 57 outings, Kimbrel improved even further in September, appearing in 12 games with a 1.50 ERA. Over seven playoff games, he was 1-2 with a 6.00 ERA, three saves, and no wins.
Prior to the trade, Kimbrel’s contract with the Cubs was worth $58 million over four seasons (including the option year in 2022), but he only received a $10 million, one-year deal from Philadelphia.
Barry Lachey is a Professional Editor at Zobuz. Previously He has also worked for Moxly Sports and Network Resources “Joe Joe.” He is a graduate of the Kings College at the University of Thames Valley London. You can reach Barry via email or by phone.
