Orioles fans sound off after team designates Craig Kimbrel for assignment

The long national nightmare is over for Baltimore Orioles fans — the team has designated Craig Kimbrel for assignment.

The Orioles signed Kimbrel to a one-year, $13 million deal in the offseason in an effort to fill the shoes of All-Star closer Felix Bautista, who is missing the entire 2024 season due to Tommy John surgery.

Kimbrel was coming off an All-Star season with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2023. He pitched well in the first half, but faded down the stretch. Unfortunately, Kimbrel will forever be known to Phillies fans for blowing two games against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Games 3 and 4 of the NLCS.

Just like last year, Kimbrel pitched decently in the first half of 2024, with a 2.10 ERA and four blown saves. However, things weren’t the same after the All-Star break. Since July 14, he’s given up 23 earned runs in 18 innings, and walked 17 batters, according to MLB Trade Rumors.

The Orioles decided to DFA Kimbrel after he gave up six earned runs in two-thirds of an inning in Tuesday night’s 10-0 loss to the San Francisco Giants. His ERA rose to an astronomical 22.09 in the month of September, and 5.33 overall.

Orioles fans seemed happy on social media that the Kimbrel era was coming to a close.

Orioles fans reaction to the Craig Kimbrel news pic.twitter.com/fUEc7tDhLI
— Kim’s Translator (@HKimsTranslator) September 18, 2024

Craig Kimbrel on waivers pic.twitter.com/HiiumSm5hD
— Orioles Haiku (@Os_poems) September 18, 2024

CRAIG KIMBREL IS FINALLY GONEpic.twitter.com/fincIzuUlh https://t.co/2jN2fAkuSz
— #FireHarbaugh&Hyde SzN (@BmoreTankSzN) September 18, 2024

THE ORIOLES DFA’D CRAIG KIMBREL LMAO 😂 pic.twitter.com/CCJxxNqLZW
— Justin Lever ❤️⚾️ (@JustinLever3) September 18, 2024

‘Tough day’ for Orioles

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told reporters it was a “tough day” in the clubhouse.

“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,” said Hyde, via Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner. “It’s never easy to say goodbye to somebody who’s done a lot.”

Brandon Hyde: "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. It's never easy to say goodbye to somebody who's done a lot."
— Andy Kostka (@afkostka) September 18, 2024

If this is it for Kimbrel, he will still go down as one of the best relievers in baseball history. He is fifth on the all-time list of most saves with 440. He’s a nine-time All-Star and won the World Series with the Boston Red Sox in 2018.