The Orioles’ decision to reacquire Andrew Kittredge from the Chicago Cubs was their first attempt at reshaping the 2026 O’s into a contender. And, like many of the Orioles’ efforts in 2026, it turned out to be a little misguided as Kittredge’s second run in Baltimore had more lows than highs.
Baltimore purchased Kittredge’s contract from the Cubs on November 4th, 2025. The move brought the veteran reliever back to Baltimore just over three months after Mike Elias sent him to Chicago at the 2025 trade
deadline.
At the time, it looked like a stroke of genius from the Orioles front office. In sending Kittredge to Chicago, the Orioles brought back teenage SS propsect Wilfri De La Cruz (now Baltimore’s No. 30 prospect). To be able to buy the 36-year-old right-hander back for cash considerations just months later gave the Orioles a way to bolster their bullpen at virtually no cost.
With the Orioles also adding veteran closer Ryan Helsley last offseason, the assumption was that Kittredge would slot into the 7th/8th inning role for Baltimore. That plan was put on hold to begin the year, as he started on the IL with right shoulder inflammation. When he finally made his 2026 debut on April 24th, he slotted right back into that set up role, working a scoreless 7th inning in a win against the Red Sox.
Over the next month, eight of his 13 appearances came in the 7th or 8th innings. If you ignore a May 3rd blow up against the Yankees that saw him give up seven runs while only recording one out, Kittredge pitched to a 1.74 ERA over his first 12 appearances of the season. Over those same outings, he racked up 12 Ks across 10.1 innings while allowing a .179 batting average against. By all accounts, his return to the Orioles as a set up man was going according to plan.
Kittredge’s role changed as it became clear that Helsley couldn’t stay healthy. Though the Orioles would-be closer first landed on the IL on May 1st, it wasn’t until June that Kittredge started consistently getting the call in the 9th inning. From the beginning of June until the All-Star break, the veteran righty made nine of his 16 appearances in the 9th inning. Across those 16 outings, Kittredge continued to shine, posting a 1.88 ERA and .218 BAA while picking up three saves and three holds.
The veteran continued to lead the Orioles bullpen in the second half as the O’s pushed to get back in the playoff race. Kittredge earned a save in the Orioles’ most topsy-turvy game of the season, coming in for the final out of a 12-inning affair against the Tigers when Baltimore completed a comeback from a 7-0 deficit. From July 17th to August 29th, he continued to keep runs off the board, posting a 1.56 ERA while adding five more saves and five more holds. Even his bad nights didn’t cost the Orioles, as his only two blown saves during that stretch both ended in Baltimore extra-inning victories.
However, there were signs that Kittredge’s strong performance was heading toward a regression. After his BAA hovered around .200 for most of the first half, his first 19 second-half outings saw him give up an opponent’s avearge of .284.
That regression finally bore real consequences during the Orioles’ three-game road set against the Rockies. In the first game of the series, Kittredge should have taken the blown save and loss, but for Colton Cowser making the defensive play of the season with a walkoff home run robbery. Two days later, Kittredge entered in the 9th with the Orioles up 3-2 and looking to secure a series win. After starting the inning with a strikeout and flyout, Kittredge allowed back-to-back two-out doubles to blow the save, with the Rockies going on to win the game in extra innings.
The Orioles’ inability to secure a series win vs. the Rockies was seen as the first death knell for their playoff chances. Manager Craig Albernaz also seemed to lose faith in Kittredge down the stretch, as that blown save vs. the Rockies was one of only six appearances he made in September. Across those six outing, Kittredge had a 7.20 ERA and .318 BAA as he potentially ended his Orioles career with a whimper.
Kittredge finished the season with -0.4 bWAR after compiling a 3.54 ERA, 11 saves and 40 Ks over 48.1 innings in 55 appearances. His 1.37 WHIP was his worst since 2018, while his 7.4 K/9 was his worst since 2022. He also became the first Orioles closer since 2021 to lead the team in saves with 11 or fewer. Sure, the Orioles went 36-19 in games Kittredge pitched. And yet, his negative WAR, negative Win Probability Added and mediocre stats across the board paint the picture of a pitcher whose appearances felt like he was just accumulating service time instead of consistently making a difference.
As of two weeks ago, Kittredge is officially a free agent. With Rico Garcia, Grant Wolfram, Yennier Cano and the hopefully healthy Helsley and Félix Bautista leading the back end of the bullpen, there’s little reason to think Kittredge will return to Baltimore. And yet, with the organization prioritizing starting pitching and outfield depth this offseason, maybe a cheap deal could see the Orioles reunite with Kittredge a second time.
