The Baltimore Orioles designated veteran right-hander Craig Kimbrel for assignment on Wednesday. The move came after Kimbrel’s dismal appearance in a 10-0 defeat to the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday, in which he allowed six earned runs and recorded only two outs.
Kimbrel signed a one-year contract with the Orioles worth $12 million in December. He was anticipated to fill in for injured All-Star closer Felix Bautista, and he did well in the early going before falling off a cliff.anounce new deal
Kimbrel finished the first half of the season with a 2.10 ERA and 23 saves. He followed it with a dismal streak in the second half, during which his ERA rose to 10.59 and he failed to record a single save. Overall, he leaves the Orioles with a 5.33 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 57 games.
“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 of Kimbrel’s DFA. “So it’s never easy to say goodbye to someone who has accomplished a lot. We had a great first half, which helped us win a lot of games. He’s an incredible teammate. He’s fantastic in the clubhouse and a true class act.”
Kimbrel, a future Hall of Famer, is certain to clear waivers and hit the free-agent market. It seems unlikely that he will sign with another team until the summer, but retirement is also an option, given that he turned 36 in May.
