Craig Kimbrel's latest meltdown could pair the Cubs and Orioles up on a trade

On Thursday, Baltimore Orioles closer blew his sixth save of the season, drawing the ire of the Birdland faithful despite the fact the O's rallied and escaped with a 7-6 victory.

Chicago Cubs fans are all too familiar with the late-inning drama that can sometimes accompany Kimbrel appearances after he spent parts of three seasons on the North Side, coinciding with the downfall and subsequent dismantling of the 2016 core. The veteran struggled mightily early on in his Cubs tenure before finally getting back on track early in 2021, allowing Jed Hoyer to flip him to the White Sox at the trade deadline.

Three years later, the Cubs are again poised to sell, and, again, several relievers could be on the move. Kimbrel's latest stumble could further incentivize the Orioles to bolster the bullpen, making Chicago a logical match as a potential trade partner.

Cubs, Orioles are a near-perfect match with Baltimore seeking arms

Let's be clear. Kimbrel isn't, by any measure, having a bad year. He's got a 2.92 ERA in 41 appearances and he's still piling up strikeouts at age 36, averaging north of 13 punchouts per nine. But adding insurance in the bullpen is always a good idea if you're a team with October aspirations and Baltimore certainly fits that bill.

Hector Neris and Mark Leiter Jr. could both be of interest and Jameson Taillon could give the O's some much-needed rotation stability, not only in 2024 but for years to come, given he's under team control through 2026. The Orioles have just two healthy starting pitchers under team control heading into next season so someone like Taillon (or even Justin Steele) would be a great fit.

Given the strength of the Baltimore farm system - and the fact that so many of their top prospects are knocking on the door, the Cubs could add pieces that could impact the 2025 team. There are only a handful of sellers right now, which should hopefully help Chicago capitalize and get this thing back on track heading into next year.