The Atlanta Braves have made move after move bringing in MLB relievers this spring on minor-league deals, but the most recent might be the most surprising. Nearly 10 years after shipping him off to San Diego, the club has decided to reunite with their former closer Craig Kimbrel.
While the 36-year-old is nowhere near as dominant as he was back in his prime, the minor-league deal offers a low risk, high reward solution for the pen if Kimbrel is even able to his 2023 self.
How Craig Kimbrel fits in with the Braves bullpen plan
Because of the timing of his signing, Kimbrel won't be ready for Opening Day. The former closer has not had a spring training, which will require him to ramp up over the next few weeks before reporting to Gwinnett.
Last season was a disaster for Kimbrel. After having a decent 2023 with the Phillies, the nine-time All-Star entered the 2024 season penciled in as the Orioles closer. Up until the All-Star Game, things were going well. The righty had a 2.80 ERA and 2.97 FIP in 35.1 innings, and this was even with a rough outing in the final game of the first half.
After the second half began, however, the wheels completely fell off. Kimbrel had a 10.59 ERA and 6.70 FIP in 17 innings for an Orioles team that faltered down the stretch. Baltimore ended up releasing him in mid-September as they tried to maintain their spot in the playoffs.
Thankfully for Atlanta, the Braves aren't looking for a closer, as Raisel Iglesias has that title firmly locked down. With Dylan Lee, Pierce Johnson, and Aaron Bummer, the Braves don't even need Kimbrel to be their setup man.
Essentially, if the Braves can get a form of Kimbrel that's more like the 2023 version of Kimbrel and not the "second half 2024" version, they could find themselves with a very strong middle inning arm. Kimbrel will only make $2 million if he makes the MLB roster as well, which would be his lowest salary of his career by $5 million. According to Jeff Passan, bringing Kimbrel to the MLB roster after his required ramp-up is the Braves' current plan.
If he struggles with Gwinnett, the Braves can simply cut their losses.
Kimbrel's first tenure with the Braves was absolutely dominant. In his five seasons with the club, the righty racked up 476 strikeouts in 289 innings. He had a 1.43 ERA and a franchise-best 186 saves. His 440 career MLB saves are the fifth-most in MLB history.
While it would be foolish to expect him to be as good the second time around, we hope that Kimbrel can put together a solid second stint that could propel him into Cooperstown.