Orioles select Eloy Jiménez and release Craig Kimbrel

The Orioles announced that first baseman Robert Lewandowski was activated from the 10-day injured list. Designated Hitter/Outfielder Eloy Jiménez was sent to Triple-A Norfolk as a corresponding move. Jiménez has more than five years of service in the Major League and therefore cannot be sent without his consent, so he presumably agreed to this move. The club also announced that the right-hander Craig Kimbrelwho was scheduled for deployment last week was released.

Jiménez was acquired by the White Sox in a buy-low move at the deadline. From 2019 to 2023, he had a batting average of .275/.324/.487 for the White Sox, which equates to a wRC+ of 118. Increasing injuries became an increasing problem, but he had generally hit in the field.

Here in 2024, the “injury prone” label was etched even deeper. He landed on the IL twice in the first few months of the season, once for a strained left adductor muscle and once for a strained left hamstring muscle. His performance had also declined, as he was hitting .240/.297/.345 for an 82 wRC+ when the Orioles traded him and signed the minor league reliever Trey McGough in the other direction.

The change of scenery hasn't helped, as Jiménez has hit .232/.270/.316 for a 68 wRC+ since moving to Baltimore. The club has struggled with a number of outfield injuries in recent weeks, but each of them Jordan Westburg, Ramon Urías and now Mountcastle has returned to the active squad in recent days, pushing Jiménez out of the squad.

While he has the right to decline an optional assignment, it's understandable why he would accept it. There are only a few days left in the season and he wouldn't be postseason eligible with any other club at this point. Rather than seek other opportunities, he will keep his spot on the O's 40-man roster and hope to contribute to the club's postseason run at some point. He came into the season with exactly five years of service and already has enough to add another full season in 2024.

His contract includes a $16.5 million option for 2025 with a $3 million severance package that the O's are sure to decline after a rough season from Jiménez. As part of the trade, the White Sox will take half of that severance package. That will make him a free agent, where he will try to market himself as a comeback candidate. It's obviously been a rough season, but he's still pretty young, turning 28 in November, and has a strong track record ahead of 2024.

As for Kimbrel, a release was the expected outcome after he was designated for action last week. He would not have been eligible for the postseason if any club had claimed him off waivers. Even bringing him in for a few regular-season games would be costly, as his contract includes a $1 million severance package for a club option through 2025. That would be in addition to the roughly $400,000 of his $12 million salary that still needs to be paid out in the final week of this season.

Given his 5.33 earned run average this year, no club would pay that price. As a veteran with long service time, he has the right to decline an immediate call-up, so the O's simply skipped the formalities and let him go.

It will be an interesting offseason for Kimbrel, now 36 years old and coming off a difficult season. Some may expect him to call it a career, but he recovered from a low point years ago. He posted an ERA over 5.00 in both 2019 and 2020, but rebounded in 2021 with a 2.21 ERA. He had two more solid seasons after that before running into trouble in 2024. Some clubs may be interested in taking a chance and hoping for another comeback, although he probably won't be the first choice of clubs with championship aspirations.