According to the MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, everyone’s favorite Brave will not be wearing a tomahawk across his chest again, at least not for the foreseeable future.
The #Braves are *not* among the finalists to sign Craig Kimbrel, source says. @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) June 5, 2019
Just because the MLB Draft has arrived doesn’t mean Kimbrel’s demands have changed. He held out this long for a reason – to get the long-term deal he rightfully deserves. The Braves have been adamant since this offseason that they were not willing to offer three, four, or even five years for his services like he has been asking. With Kimbrel narrowing in on his decision; Atlanta appears out of the race. Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic reported earlier today that the Cubs are aggressively pursuing the future Hall-of-Fame closer.
It may seem like a whiff from the Braves front office but based off how all the deals they did not make this offseason are looking so far, I will go out on a limb and say they are making the right decision. That doesn’t mean Atlanta does not need to address the bullpen; they do. But offering a declining relief arm top dollar over four years is something only a few teams can afford. Look for Alex Anthopoulos to search all the cracks between now and the trade deadline to improve the pen.