Despite his NLCS struggles, Craig Kimbrel’s overall positive season with the Phillies last year netted him a one-year, $13 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles over the offseason.
He didn’t make it through the regular season.
The Orioles designated Kimbrel for assignment on Wednesday. Likely to clear waivers (he wouldn’t be eligible for the postseason with a new team), his season will end less than two weeks short of the playoffs. The 36-year-old finishes the regular season with an ERA of 5.33 in 52 1/3 innings.
It’s looked even worse than that recently. Through July 7, Kimbrel had a 2.10 ERA with 13.6 strikeouts per nine innings, but everything snowballed from there. His ERA was 11.12 for the rest of that month, 7.27 in August and 22.09 in four September outings.
Doing some (but not all of the) heavy lifting this month was a six-run, two-thirds-of-an-inning appearance on Tuesday which, after eight idle days in the bullpen, prompted his departure.
Opponents hit .306 against him in the second half. He walked 15 batters in 17 innings. It was ugly.
Perhaps this is the end for the nine-time All-Star with a fascinating Hall of Fame deliberation. Fifth place on the all-time saves leaderboard certainly makes a case one way, but five different fanbases since the start of 2019 would make one the other way.
None of his 440 career saves have come within the past couple months. Seranthony Domínguez, whom the Phillies sent to the Orioles in the late-July Austin Hays trade, replaced his two-time teammate as the closer shortly after he landed in Baltimore. Domínguez has converted all nine save opportunities with his new club, pitching to a 2.45 ERA until a two-run outing earlier this week.
His spot, of course, on Baltimore’s postseason roster is locked up, barring injury. Gregory Soto, who allowed eight runs in his first three outings after the Phillies dealt him for Seth Johnson and Moisés Chace at the deadline, but who has thrown much better since, also could be in the picture. That bullpen could still represent a major blast from the past for the Phillies if the two teams meet in the Fall Classic. It just won’t happen with Kimbrel in the picture.
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