O's Corbin Burnes on Craig Kimbrel getting DFA

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde described it as a “tough day” as the team designated for assignment closer Craig Kimbrel. Hyde called him a “great teammate and class act.”

When I asked ace right-hander Corbin Burnes about Kimbrel, he said similar things. He may have been a poor pitcher for the team in the second half but his teammates sure seemed to support and have respect for him. And Burnes said even as Kimbrel’s season was spiraling downward he was in the clubhouse helping other players.

But in the end, performance matters most. And he went from an ERA of 2.80 in the first half to a pitcher that in 18 second-half games was 1-3 with a 10.59 ERA and 2.177 WHIP.

“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.

“I wish him the best. He’s had a Hall of Fame career, if this is it. If he comes back to play, I don’t know. I haven’t talked to Craig much about that. But he’s going to be a Hall of Famer.”

Kimbrel, who went 7-5 with a 5.33 ERA and 23 saves for the Orioles, is a nine-time All-Star who has 440 career saves to rank fifth all-time. I asked Burnes if the last few months were tough on Kimbrel.

“That is the thing with Craig. Just talking to him you'd never know,” he said. “He knows there are ups and downs in this game. One of the first stories I ever heard about Craig. Maybe I was 18 or 19 and had never met him but heard the one reason that made him so good, you never knew on any given day whether he was doing well or wasn’t doing well.

“Came in the clubhouse, same energy, same smile. Would talk about what was going on at home. I think that is what makes great closers. They are able to move on day-to-day.

“The first, gosh, seven or eight years of his career, he was nearly unhittable. And from what I’ve heard, you never would have known it in the clubhouse. I think that’s special and something I always strive to do.”

Burnes saw a Kimbrel that would help others any way he could and provide them words of support and encouragement even as his season was going the wrong way.

“Getting to know Craig the last couple of years, that is the kind of guy he was. He could be on a save streak or struggling like he was and he came in the clubhouse the next day happy, great teammate, ready to go.

“Went about his business, got his work done. Always joking around in here, keeping it light. And it’s tough when you are having those frustrations to be the same guy. You might want to come in and keep to yourself. Craig was not that guy. He could be struggling but if another guy was struggling, he’d go pick him up. Just a great person, obviously Hall of Fame closer. I wish him nothing but the best.”

Kimbrel lost some velocity on his fastball during the year. But Burnes didn’t see that as the biggest factor for his struggles.

“I think what happened this year with Craig," Burnes said. "He just wasn’t able to command as well as he had in the past. The breaking ball was still really good. He had great numbers up, really until the All-Star break. Probably should have been an All-Star – that’s just how good his first half was. But the second half wasn’t the same as far as his commanding his pitches and being as dominant. But he was still the same person in here."