Andrew

Kittredge

Kittredge will be sidelined for at least the first two month of the season as the hope is the operation will allow the inflammation and soreness to subside in the right-hander’s knee. He should be a high-leverage option for Baltimore in the summer months if there are no setbacks in recovery.

Kittredge was shut down over the weekend due to soreness and inflammation in the knee. He’s going to be sidelined for at least a couple of months while recovering from the procedure. Kittredge was supposed to function in a setup role in front of returning closer Felix Bautista, but now the Orioles are going to have to find a new bridge to the ninth inning.

Kittredge has been dealing with left knee soreness and inflammation. It typically isn’t an encouraging development when a player is seeking multiple opinions. There should be an update on his status at some point in the coming days. The 34-year-old right-hander is expected to operate in a setup role this season in his Orioles debut.

Kittredge warmed up to pitch during Saturday’s tilt, but the 34-year-old didn’t get into the game because of his soreness. Orioles manager Brandon Hyde called the right-hander day-to-day, so it doesn’t appear Kittredge is dealing with an injury that will prevent him from being ready for the regular season.

The deal is now official after Kittredge passed his physical. The 34-year-old veteran right-hander features a deadly sinker-slider combo and figures to jump right into Baltimore’s high-leverage mix behind closer Félix Bautista. He finished last year with one save and 37 holds for the Cardinals along with a sparkling 2.80 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 67/20 K/BB ratio across 70 2/3 innings (74 appearances).

Kittredge will get $9 million this year and either $9 million or a $1 million buyout in 2026. The 34-year-old Kittredge was one of the NL’s top setup men last year, picking up 37 holds with a 2.80 ERA for the Cardinals. However, his peripherals weren’t as strong, leaving him with a 3.96 FIP and a 4.05 xERA. He’ll battle Yannier Cano and Seranthony Domínguez for eighth-inning duties in Baltimore, assuming that Felíx Bautista proves healthy.

The Blue Jays just traded Jordan Romano to the Phillies, and even if they hadn’t have moved Romano, Toronto would likely be interested in upgrading their bullpen for 2025. Estevez is particularly interesting as a potential target here, as the 31-year-old was effective as a closer last year for both the Angels and Phillies. It seems very plausible that Estevez could end up trading places with Romano as the Toronto stopper in 2025.

Ryan Helsley had this one off after throwing 39 pitches the previous two days, and Kittredge got the nod over Jojo Romero in his place. Kittredge has a 3.60 ERA in 30 innings out of the St. Louis bullpen.

The Cardinals just acquired Kittredge from the Rays last week for OF Richie Palacios. The 33-year-old Kittredge posted a 3.09 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and a 10/2 K/BB ratio over 11 2/3 innings with the Rays in 2023 after coming back from Tommy John surgery. In 2022, Kittredge registered a 3.15 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, and 14/2 K/BB ratio in 20 innings before getting hurt, so he figures to provide a boost for the Cardinals’ pen.

As anticipated, the Cardinals add some bullpen help by dealing once again from their excess of outfielders. Kittredge, 33, registered a 3.09 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and a 10/2 K/BB ratio over 11 2/3 innings with the Rays during the 2023 campaign . He’s also accumulated 15 saves over the past four seasons with the Rays, so he does have some experience in the ninth inning. Expect him to settle into a setup role in the seventh or eighth inning to begin his tenure with the Cardinals.