The Baltimore Orioles have continued to play well, now 8-2 in their last 10 games. Both sides of the baseball seem to be picking it up and as it’s finally clicking, the Orioles are showing baseball fans why they’re the team everyone expected them to be. However, there’s still one piece that could put them over the top.
Closer Felix Bautista had Tommy John surgery in 2023, which will cause the right-hander to miss the entire season. Bautista, when healthy, showed last year that he was better than anyone in baseball in the backend of the bullpen.
To replace him, for the time being, Baltimore made a wise decision in the offseason by signing veteran Craig Kimbrel. The 35 year old has been one of the best relief pitchers in baseball for more than a decade and has impressed in a big way in 2024.
Appearing in 11 games, the Alabama native has earned seven saves and has posted an ERA of 0.82. If he can keep this up, the Orioles will be in a good position to close games in the ninth inning moving forward.
Adding another arm, however, could be a wise decision.
Boston Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen was viewed as a potential target for Baltimore earlier in April. A few weeks later, Jon Heyman, appearing on B/R Walk-Off, said Jansen would be “happy to be traded.
Jansen, 36 years old, has a 2.35 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings pitched this season.
If Jansen is indeed available, the veteran could be another great addition to this bullpen. Having an 8-9 punch of Jansen and Kimbrel should serve them well, especially in the postseason when it matters most.
The front office has many ways to complete a deal after building the farm system, which could lead to multiple moves around the deadline.
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