The Braves appeased the fanbase from a nostalgic sense last night, signing Craig Kimbrel to a minor-league deal that will pay him $2 million if he makes the major-league roster. But how likely is it we ever get to see him in Atlanta?
Given the current state of the Braves bullpen, I would say close to 100%. There are only four proven commodities rostered right now — Raisel Iglesias, Dylan Lee, Pierce Johnson, and Aaron Bummer. After that, it’s anybody’s best guess who will be pitching in high leverage situations for the Braves this season, relying on a combination of young arms and non-roster invites. Craig Kimbrel isn’t the guy he once was when he came up with the Braves, but he’s got a far better track record — even recently — than a lot of the arms Atlanta is going to feature when the season begins.
Kimbrel’s numbers to end last season were gaudy, especially for the lofty standard he’s set for himself throughout his career. He finished with a 5.33 ERA over 57 appearances, and while his 4.18 FIP was much more encouraging, it’s still nothing to get excited about.
However, Kimbrel’s 2024 campaign was a tale of two halves. From the start of the season to July 7th, he appeared in 38 games for the Orioles, posting an outstanding 2.10 ERA and 2.47 FIP with 52 strikeouts over 34.1 innings. Opponents were hitting just .147 off of him with a .483 OPS. He was one of the best relievers in baseball and very well could have received the nod for his 10th All-Star appearance. But after the break, opponents hit over .300 against him with an OPS north of 1.000. His ERA sat at 11.50, and he walked nearly a batter per inning.
That’s really who Craig Kimbrel has been for about a half-decade. From 2019-2020 with the Cubs, he was dismal, only to turn in an All-Star campaign in 2021 before being traded to the Cubs’ crosstown rivals and completely blowing up. Kimbrel then signed with the Dodgers the following year, where he was below average before becoming an All-Star again with the Phillies in 2023.
The only thing consistent about Craig Kimbrel since he left Boston is he’s inconsistent. The heat on his fastball isn’t anywhere close to where it once was, and he can lose the strike zone from time to time. But he’s still one of the better strikeout pitchers in baseball and has more experience in big games than the entire Atlanta bullpen combined. The hope is the Braves can catch lightning in a bottle and send a former legend out the right way. He’s not going to be asked to close games, but if everything goes right, there is the potential for him to be a high-leverage guy this season, which says more about the Braves’ options than anything.
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Charles Brock/Icon Sportswire
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