Former Baltimore Orioles Flop Signs Deal With NL Powerhouse Atlanta Braves

When Felix Bautista underwent Tommy John surgery in 2023, the Baltimore Orioles knew they needed to address their bullpen for the 2024 season.

Without one of the best closers in the sport, ensuring they had a viable option to finish games for them became a top priority for Mike Elias.

He decided to hand Craig Kimbrel a one-year, $13 million deal to be their stopgap solution, which was the most lucrative contract the general manager had handed out to that point of his tenure.

Despite the poor ending to the right-hander’s time with the Philadelphia Phillies, he was still coming off an All-Star season where he produced a 3.26 ERA and ERA+ that was 32 points above the league average across his 71 outings, going 23-for-28 in save opportunities.

Unfortunately, the Orioles didn’t get that version of Kimbrel.

He started off the year great, entering the All-Star break with a 2.80 ERA in 39 outings, but when the season resumed following the Midsummer Classic, things went off the rails.

Kimbrel’s ERA ballooned to 10.59 ERA in his 18 appearances after the hiatus, and Baltimore eventually released him in late-September after designating him for assignment.

Now, the future Hall of Famer has been given another chance with a familiar team, signing a minor league deal with the Atlanta Braves, the team that took him in the third round of the 2008 draft, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

Kimbrel took the baseball world by storm almost immediately.

He made 21 appearances during his first year in 2010, but it was after that when he made a name for himself.

During his four full seasons with the Braves, the righty won the 2011 NL Rookie of the Year Award, made four All-Star teams from 2011-14, finished top 10 in NL Cy Young voting four times and in the top five twice, while also leading the National League in saves four times in a row.

At 36 years old, he’s not that type of pitcher anymore, but Kimbrel will be looking to have a strong season with his original team, hoping he can make the Major League roster and be a contributor at some point in 2025.