Key Philadelphia Phillies Star made another heard breaking Announcement about…..
The Philadelphia Phillies are losing their closer, as veteran Craig Kimbrel has reached an agreement on a free-agent contract with the Baltimore Orioles, per multiple reports.
Kimbrel joined the Phillies in 2023 and the 35-year-old put together another solid season. He has emerged as one of the most decorated closers in the game and is one of a handful of relievers with at least 400 career saves.
Kimbrel’s deal is for $12 million in 2024 with an $13 million club option in 2025 with a $1 million buyout.
With the Orioles, Kimbrel will serve as the backstop to help close games for a young rotation that includes Dean Kremer, Kyle Bradish, Grayson Rodriguez and Tyler Wells. That group helped the Orioles win the American League East and 101 games last season.
The Orioles had an acute need in the area, as their Mariano Rivera Reliever of the Year winner Félix Bautista partially tore the UCL in his pitching arm in August and required Tommy John surgery. The 28-year-old reliver is expected back in 2025, but he will miss the entire 2024 season rehabbing the injury.
With the Phillies, Kimbrel overcame a shaky start and went 8-3 with a 3.26 ERA with 23 saves in 28 chances. He also had seven holds and struck out 94 hitters in 69 innings.
Kimbrel has 417 career saves and from 2011-14 he either led the National League and/or Major League Baseball in saves as the closer for the Atlanta Braves, where he started as a rookie in 2010.
From there, he career has been somewhat itinerant, as he’s pitched for seven different teams — including four in the last three years — the Cubs and the White Sox in 2021, the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2022 and then the Phillies last season.
Few closers on the open market are as experienced. He is a nine All-Star, an NL Rookie of the Year award winner, a Rolaids Relief Man of the Year award winner, a two-time Reliever of the Year award winner and a World Series champion with Boston in 2018.
The Phillies will now either look to the free-agent or trade market for a closer or look inward to its own pitching staff for a replacement.
