Sure sounds like Mike Elias angered the wrong Orioles star with Craig Kimbrel move

With Felix Bautista expected to miss most, if not the entire 2024 campaign, the need for a closer was clear this past offseason for the Baltimore Orioles. Despite all of his failures in recent years, the Orioles chose to sign Craig Kimbrel to a one-year deal worth $12 million making him their highest-paid player not named Corbin Burnes.

In the first half of the deal, Kimbrel looked like the reliable closer Baltimore thought he'd be. He had a 2.80 ERA in 39 appearances, converting 23 of his 28 save opportunities. Five blown saves in a half is a lot, but most of Kimbrel's struggles were in a two or three-week span in late April and early May. For the most part, he was brilliant for the rest of the first half.

His first half ended with a clunker as the right-hander allowed three runs and blew a save against the New York Yankees. The bad vibes he finished the first half with carried into the second half. The right-hander lost his hold on the closer role coming out of the All-Star break and never regained it, posting a 10.59 ERA in 18 second-half appearances and getting DFA'd on Wednesday.

For most Orioles fans, this move was one worth celebrating. On top of his struggles in recent postseasons, Kimbrel was simply unusable for the entire second half. It was time to let him go. For Corbin Burnes, though, losing Kimbrel is a huge deal. When taking his contract situation into account, that's not great.

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Mike Elias might have angered the one Orioles star he could ill afford to irritate

“Obviously it’s tough,” said Burnes. “You never want to see a guy get designated. A guy that has been here all year and given a lot to this team. And been a leader in the clubhouse, been a leader in the bullpen. You never want to see that happen. You understand why it happens, how baseball and how the business goes."

Burnes never wants to see any one of his teammates get let go, but he called Kimbrel a leader in the clubhouse and in the bullpen. Losing him, when the Orioles as a team haven't played great for a while now, stings, even if he hasn't pitched well.

Burnes understands the baseball decision that Baltimore made, but that doesn't mean he can't be annoyed by it or disagree. Clearly, he doesn't sound thrilled that Baltimore let Kimbrel go.

When taking into account that Burnes is set to hit free agency at the end of the year, parting with someone he views to be vital to the clubhouse and to the bullpen isn't the best of looks. Sure, it might not matter in the end, but for the Orioles to have a chance at re-signing him, especially with several big market teams figure to be bidding for his services, they need to keep him happy.

By all accounts, Burnes is happy in Baltimore, and he has had a good year, but it doesn't look like this move in particular sat right with him. That could potentially prove to be an issue in a matter of months.