Why were Baltimore cruisers kept with carriers?

Why did the US Navy keep Baltimore-class cruisers back with the carriers while older cruisers operated nearer the battleships?

Because the Baltimores were there to protect the carriers, a strategically important escort role even when it kept them out of surface actions.

Baltimore-class cruisers remained with the carriers because protecting those high-value ships was their assigned contribution. Their position can make them less visible in narratives centered on surface gun actions. It does not mean the class lacked a wartime role; escorting and defending the carrier force was itself strategically important. The answer redirects attention from independent cruiser duels to the task-group system the ships supported.