There is news once again concerning the former closer of the Philadelphia Phillies, Craig Kimbrel, and the Baltimore Orioles designating him for assignment. Recently, Kimbrel was having a rather tough season, so questions are bound to arise regarding his future.
In last year’s off-season, they did not re-sign Kimbrel after the team had a less-than-stellar post-season run last year. He was woeful in the postseason and had a very rough ERA of 6.00 and gave away a save that mattered. Many fans were critical of him for this. They came into this season with no clear closer, which was somewhat of a surprise, but it seemed like they were willing to roll the dice on his ability to perform without him.
Craig Kimbrel’s New Beginning with Orioles
Craig Kimbrel signed a one-year, $13 million contract with the Orioles to regain his shutdown closer status. Early returns were promising, but after the All-Star break, he came crashing down. He served up an ERA over 18 games of 10.59, far from the 2.80 he had early in the year. That put a lot of pressure on the Orioles to take him out of the closer’s role, which started raising questions about his effectiveness.
Numbers tell a sad tale. Kimbrel has a 5.33 ERA for the year and has blown six saves. These struggles affect his role and don’t allow the Orioles to trust him in high-pressure situations. His recent form has put his future in serious doubt, especially as teams look to solidify their bullpens for the playoffs.
With the ruling of being sent down to be assigned, Kimbrel is now open for any other team to claim him on the waiver deal. However, considering his latest performance, how many teams may be interested in claiming him is still unknown. Many may not take the risk of getting a player whose skills are deteriorating. Kimbrel remains in a tight spot with a dire need for a new opportunity, only this time, with more complex issues ahead.
No Reunion with the Phillies
There’s little hope for a reunion for Phillies fans. The team has moved on and overhauled the bullpen, especially in bringing in top closer Carlos Estevez. Since the system is better, bringing in Kimbrel doesn’t seem to fit into their new plan. For sure, though, Kimbrel has had a hall-of-fame career in the sense of saving the fifth most in MLB history. However, recent struggles have overshadowed past successes.
Thus, the journey of Craig Kimbrel has been great, but now does he have something more? People may look forward to seeing him prove himself once more after two acute seasons. So, teams will look for whether he can regain his shape and again come out as a top closer. For now, the future of Kimbrel remains uncertain, and people can only wait and see what happens next.
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