Craig Kimbrel, Dallas Keuchel will lose draft pick compensation at midnight - MLB

Reliever Craig Kimbrel and starter Dallas Keuchel are still unsigned, but their odds of finding a home will rise significantly in just a few hours. At midnight EST, they will no longer have draft pick compensation attached to them, a result of receiving and declining qualifying offers during the offseason.

Despite this, teams already have their next batch of excuses lined up. Per Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY Sports, some teams are unsure the pitchers will be ready to contribute this month. They are also worried based on the past history of players signing at this point in the season and not performing well.

Kimbrel, 31, finished the regular season last year with 42 saves, a 2.74 ERA, and a 96/31 K/BB ratio in 62 1/3 innings. His stock fell when he struggled early in the playoffs, allowing runs in each of his first four appearances. However, he appeared to figure things out, holding the opposition scoreless in his next four appearances in the postseason.

Keuchel, 31, went 12-11 with a 3.74 ERA and a 153/58 K/BB ratio in 204 2/3 innings for the Astros in the regular season last year. The lefty’s strikeout rate tumbled but he is still markedly better than a lot of No. 3 and 4 pitchers in rotations to open the season and currently.

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BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Orioles signed outfielder Aaron Hicks less than 24 hours after Cedric Mullins went down with a strained right groin.

Mullins went on the 10-day injured list, but the Orioles are hoping Hicks can help defensively in the spacious outfield at Camden Yards. Hicks was released last week by the New York Yankees with more than 2 1/2 seasons left on his contract.

“We had noticed that he was a free agent even before the injury,” Orioles general manager Mike Elias said. “When the injury occurred and it became pretty clear this was going to be an IL, it seemed like a good fit even more so at that time.”

The Orioles are responsible for paying Hicks just $483,871, a prorated share of the $720,000 minimum salary. The Yankees owe him the rest of his $10.5 million salary this year, plus $9.5 million in each of the next two seasons and a $1 million buyout of a 2026 team option.

The 33-year-old Hicks hit just .188 in 28 games for the Yankees this year.

“We have stuff that we look at from a scouting and evaluation perspective,” Elias said. “It’s very different from just looking at the back of a baseball card, and we hope that we get a bounceback from anyone we bring here.”

Hicks batted .216 last season.

“Hopefully that’s a good thing for him,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of the Baltimore deal. “A lot of time here and a lot of good things happened for him here. I know the last couple of years have been a struggle. But hopefully it’s a good opportunity for him and certainly wish him well. Not too well being in our division and a team we’re chasing, but hopefully it’s a really good fit for him.”

Mullins left a loss to Cleveland after he pulled up while running out an infield grounder. Outfielder Colton Cowser – the fifth pick in the draft two years ago – is hitting .331 at Triple-A Norfolk, but he went on the IL in the past couple weeks.

“Certainly he was building a case towards promotion consideration prior to his injury and prior to Cedric’s injury,” Elias said. “We’ll just see where we’re at.”

Hicks was active for the game but not in the starting lineup. Austin Hays, normally Baltimore’s left field, was in Mullins’ usual spot in center.

When the wall in left at Camden Yards was pushed significantly back before last season, it made left field a bigger challenge defensively.

“In this park … you really need two center fielders,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “Aaron’s got a lot of center-field experience. Played left field here before also. Brings the defensive aspect and then the switch-hitting.”