Orioles DFA'ing big free agent has them nearing rock bottom in race with Yankees

Where'd all the Baltimore Orioles fans go? Back in July they "weren't afraid" of the New York Yankees. Two months later they're hiding in their basements waiting for their team's prolonged nightmare to end ... but it appears that's not happening soon.

The Yankees' AL East lead has now reached four games, which is the largest its been since early June when the O's trailed by 4.5 games. But these particular four games feel like a much wider gulf, and not only because it's later in the campaign.

The Orioles have been bad. Yankees fans thought their team was in trouble, as they've logged a below-.500 record for about three months now and failed to capitalize on a beneficial August schedule, but during that same span the O's didn't capitalize one bit.

Baltimore was 60-38 back on July 20. Over the course of the last two months, they've gone 24-29. Back in May, they thought they were getting ahead of one of their problems by demoting Craig Kimbrel from the closer role.

Instead, their attempts to bolster the bullpen at the trade deadline failed, and Kimbrel ended up getting designated for assignment on Wednesday after giving up six earned runs in 2/3 of an inning in a 10-0 loss to the SF Giants.

Yankees fans wistfully watching Craig Kimbrel DFA'd by Orioles

The Orioles put Kimbrel back in the closer role a few days later and kept him there until the beginning of August, but things only got worse. Over the last month, Kimbrel has been allowing a .343 batting average against with a .996 OPS. That's been good for a 14.09 ERA and 2.22 WHIP. His last save came in July.

Kimbrel was considered one of the Orioles' "premier" free agency additions ($13 million for one year) as the front office and ownership opted not to supplement the team's young core with higher-priced talent. Clearly, that's come back to hurt them pretty badly.

While Kimbrel was serviceable for about half the season, his run from the beginning of July until Tuesday was horrid. He pitched 22 innings and logged a 10.23 ERA and 2.18 WHIP. Though he only cost the team four games over that span, he's largely been used in meaningless situations and was labeled a sunk cost long ago.

The Orioles are still destined for the postseason, but the wheels have come off at the absolute worst time, and it can all be traced back to the team's lack of aggression in the offseason and their dud moves at the trade deadline.