Baltimore’s plans for the 2024 season drastically changed in August of 2023.
After 56 games as the best reliever in baseball, Félix Bautista walked off the mound after missing with 102 up and away. The then 28-year-old had just one strike to go to finish out his appearance against the Rockies. Instead, The Mountain’s season was over. As was his 2024.
Bautista’s 6 '8 void was never going to be filled by just one pitcher.
Baltimore added a 2023 All-Star in Craig Kimbrel to be their primary closer. Kimbrel, after posting a 2.80 ERA in the first half, struggled mightily once the calendar hit mid-July. And at the deadline, the O’s acquired Seranthony Dominguez and Gregory Soto from the Phillies. The duo combined to appear in 48 games with Dominguez saving 10. Despite performing well, it would have been a stretch to hope that they could replicate Bautista’s 1.48 ERA from the season prior.
Ultimately, the only pitcher that can replicate the dominance of Bautista is the man himself, and the O’s weren’t able to replicate his dominance in 2024. Coming off Tommy John surgery, it may take a little while longer to truly see Bautista back to pitching like only The Mountain can.
“He [Bautista] won’t be in a spot where it’s like any old spring training,” said Mike Elias at Birdland Caravan. “He’s coming off surgery, there’s going to be a ramp involved that is reflective of the fact that he’s coming off Tommy John. Maybe a different, slower ramp. We’re going to be careful with him.”
Whenever Bautista is healthy and ready to reclaim his throne in the Orioles’ bullpen, he will be joining a unit that profiles to be much stronger than it gets credit for.
The only big league free agent addition to Baltimore’s bullpen thus far has been Andrew Kittredge. The 35-year-old righty posted a 2.80 ERA and 1.132 WHIP in 74 games for the Cardinals last season, but he isn’t just a one-hit wonder. Since 2021, Kittredge has a 2.48 ERA in 162 games, and throughout his career, a 3.26 career ERA as a reliever. The former Ray doesn’t profile as a closer with only 16 career saves, but he could thrive as a setup man. In his eight-year career, Kittredge has a .665 OPS allowed in innings seven through nine compared to a .751 OPS allowed in innings four through six. Couple that with his .692 OPS allowed in high leverage situations versus a .785 OPS in low leverage spots, and I’m left with a conclusion that this dude loves to pitch in big spots.
Elsewhere, Seranthony Dominguez came as advertised at the deadline last season. The flamethrower delivered an ERA south of 4.00 for the O’s while striking out over 11 batters per nine innings. And with 10 saves in a Baltimore uniform under his belt, he could be an answer to a closer question if Bautista is not fully ramped up to begin the year.
Another answer to that question could be Gregory Soto. I would implore you to look a bit deeper than his 5.09 ERA with the Orioles last season. Immediately following the trade from Philadelphia, Soto allowed eight earned runs in his first three appearances in black and orange. In the 20 games that followed, the lefty allowed two earned runs, struck out 20 and walked four, good for a 1.10 ERA. And while he didn’t save any games for Baltimore, Soto does have a track record of closing success, with 30 saves in an All-Star campaign for the Tigers back in 2022.
Joining the three relative newcomers, we can presume to see some of the usual suspects: Cionel Pérez, Keegan Akin and Yennier Cano. Pérez’s ERA ballooned a bit down the stretch last year, but the lefty boasted a 3.75 ERA entering late September. Cano sat at a 3.15, while Akin posted a 3.32. All solid pieces that figure to return.
Assuming Bautista is ready for Opening Day, that brings our number in the bullpen to seven.
The O’s have plenty of options for their eighth spot. To have a spot-start option, maybe the Orioles go with Albert Suárez or Cade Povich. Each showed flashes of brilliance in 2024, with Suarez proving that he could succeed both in the rotation and out of the ‘pen.
A healthy Bautista could bring some star power to the Orioles’ bullpen this season. His absence may have been an underrated aspect of 2024, and his return this season might be underrated too. After the bullpen unit posted just the 23rd best ERA among bullpens in baseball in 2024, the 2025 iteration of Baltimore relievers seems to have the depth and experience to be a much improved unit.