Inside The Orioles

Baltimore Orioles Land Possible Craig Kimbrel Replacement From Phillies

The Baltimore Orioles may have just gotten their new closer from the Philadelphia Phillies.

Tyler Maher

Jul 23, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Gregory Soto delivers a pitch.
Jul 23, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Gregory Soto delivers a pitch. / Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
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Craig Kimbrel's days as the Baltimore Orioles' closer may officially be numbered.

The Orioles acquired another reliever with closing experience right before Tuesday's 6 p.m. trade deadline, landing Gregory Soto from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for pitching prospect Seth Johnson.

Soto, 29, is a left-handed reliever who's 2-4 with a 4.08 ERA and two saves in 43 appearances this year. While the Phillies have primarily used him in a setup role over the last two seasons (including last year in front of Kimbrel), he has 55 career saves under his belt and was a two-time All-Star with the Detroit Tigers prior to being traded to Philadelphia.

Soto gives Brandon Hyde the option to mix and match in the ninth inning if he chooses, which might be a good idea based on Kimbrel's recent struggles. The nine-time All-Star has been a disaster lately with a 13.50 ERA, two blown saves and a loss over his last five outings.

Kimbrel, who is seven years older than Soto, may be wearing down after a strong first half, so having another closing option for the stretch run could be beneficial. Soto has one more year of team control left as well, so he isn't merely a rental.

In return, the Phillies receive Johnson, a 25-year-old pitching prospect at Double-A. Ranked as Baltimore's No. 8 overall prospect and No. 3 pitching prospect by MLB Pipeline, Johnson is 0-6 with a 2.63 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP in 18 starts this season.

The Orioles sacrificed a bit of the future for the present with this deal, but it could pay off if Soto helps solidify the bullpen going forward.

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Tyler Maher
TYLER MAHER

Tyler grew up in Massachusetts and is a huge Boston sports fan, especially the Red Sox. He went to Tufts University and played club baseball for the Jumbos. Since graduating, he has worked for MLB.com, The Game Day, FanDuel and Forbes. When he's not writing about baseball, he enjoys running, traveling, and playing fetch with his golden retriever.

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