BALTIMORE — The explanation Craig Kimbrel wished to return to Baltimore? It was easy.
The 35-year-old right-hander, who will go down as one of many biggest closers of all time, needs to win as a lot as doable earlier than finally calling it quits. And he sees a possibility to win loads with the Orioles, recent off a 101-61 season and an American League East championship.
“They need to win, they usually need to win now,” Kimbrel mentioned throughout an introductory Zoom name on Thursday afternoon. “I don’t know what number of extra years I’ve obtained to do that and go on the market and sling the ball. I need to be part of a winner. I need to be a part of an important alternative and be snug doing it, they usually supplied all of these issues for me.”
It additionally helped that Baltimore had a necessity for a more in-depth resulting from a gaping gap in the back of its bullpen. All-Star right-hander Félix Bautista, the winner of the 2023 Mariano Rivera Award for the AL’s high reliever, will miss the whole ‘24 season after present process Tommy John surgical procedure in October.
Kimbrel — who will make $12 million subsequent yr and has a $13 million workforce possibility for 2025 (or a $1 million buyout) — plans on being a powerful fill-in whereas attempting so as to add to a profession saves whole that now sits at 417, the eighth most in AL/NL historical past.
“It’s laborious to switch somebody like [Bautista], and what he did final yr was completely spectacular and one thing nobody has ever carried out earlier than,” Kimbrel mentioned. “To return in and to fill these sneakers and hold this workforce on a superb roll, I totally anticipate to try this. I imply, that’s why I signed right here.
“It’s what I’ve been doing my entire profession, and I believe that’s a part of the rationale why the Orioles wished me to return in right here and simply hold the practice rolling and hold the wheels going.”
If Kimbrel is profitable with Baltimore, he ought to proceed to climb the all-time saves leaderboard. Kenley Jansen (420) ranks seventh, however he’s nonetheless pitching for Boston. Kimbrel may cross Billy Wagner (422), John Franco (424) and Francisco Rodríguez (437) in 2024.
Each the Orioles and Kimbrel know he isn’t the very same sort of pitcher he was early in his profession, when groups hardly ever scored towards him. The nine-time All-Star and three-team Reliever of the Yr Award winner had a 1.43 ERA in 294 appearances for the Braves from 2010-14.
However Kimbrel can nonetheless have dominant stretches, and he all the time embraces getting the ball within the ninth inning. Throughout his lone season with the Phillies in 2023 — when he had a 3.26 ERA and 23 saves over 71 video games — he was electrical throughout the months of June (0.69 ERA in 13 video games), July (1.38 ERA in 13 video games) and September (1.50 ERA in 12 video games).
“The ninth inning is for me. I adore it. It’s all the pieces about who I’m,” Kimbrel mentioned. “There are going to be days the place I am going on the market and am going to get punched within the face. That’s not going to outline who I’m as a pitcher or a participant or an individual. I perceive how there’s a possibility the subsequent day to make it proper.”
One more reason why Kimbrel appealed to Baltimore basic supervisor Mike Elias was the 14-year huge league veteran’s potential to function a mentor to the pitching employees. The O’s not have 36-year-old starter Kyle Gibson, who signed with the Cardinals in free company and acted as a pacesetter for a younger rotation this previous season.
“It’s one thing good that our younger bullpen is missing,” Elias mentioned. “We thought it was type of the appropriate man on the proper time, and the appropriate match for us.”
Kimbrel received a World Sequence title with Boston in 2018. He pitched within the postseason annually he was with the Pink Sox (2016-18), in addition to for the Braves (‘10, ‘12, ‘13), the Cubs (‘20), the White Sox (‘21) and the Phillies (‘23).
Most of the major relievers within the Orioles’ bullpen — corresponding to All-Star setup man Yennier Cano and lefties Danny Coulombe and Cionel Pérez — had by no means skilled the postseason till 2023, when Baltimore obtained swept in three video games by Texas within the AL Division Sequence.
Kimbrel is able to attempt to assist get the Orioles deeper into October, and he’ll be prepared to share his huge baseball information alongside the best way.
“I certain do get quite a lot of satisfaction and quite a lot of happiness from attending to know quite a lot of these guys who’re going to be taking part in the sport for longer than I’ve and are going to proceed to make this sport nice and enjoyable,” Kimbrel mentioned. “They all the time say that in the event you throw some older guys round some youth, you would possibly get just a little little bit of youth out. I hope that’s the case.”