It feels like forever ago that Craig Kimbrel was shutting opponents down in the ninth inning. He left Atlanta in 2015 when he was traded to the San Diego Padres despite having four consecutive All-Star seasons. Kimbrel earned a sub-two ERA in three of those seasons.
When he was traded, it shocked Braves fans but the team was in the early stages of a rebuild. He also looked to be on a Hall of Fame career path at the time and it hurt to let that talent go.
He had a pretty good season for the Padres in his one year with the team. Kimbrel ended the 2015 season with a 2.58 ERA and 39 saves. It was the first time he had failed to achieve 40+ saves in a season. The former Atlanta hurler had led the league in saves four years in a row before that.
Despite a successful season, the Padres then traded the Alabama native to the Boston Red Sox. He then went on to have three more consecutive All-Star seasons for the BoSox. 2016 was the roughest year for him as he had the worst ERA of his career to that point at 3.40 through 57 games.
He was good for Boston over three seasons but struggled mightily in the postseason. Kimbrel earned a 5.14 ERA with nine walks and 15 strikeouts. However, he was still one of the best closers in baseball as he earned 30 or more saves every season through nine MLB seasons.
Kimbrel reached free agency in 2019 and signed with the Cubs on a three-year deal worth $43 million. This contract ended up not working out well for either side. He struggled with injuries and when he did pitch, it wasn't very good. Through the 2019 and 2020 seasons, Craig earned a 6.00 ERA through just 36 innings pitched and 15 saves.
In 2021 he turned things back around with a 0.49 ERA through 36.2 innings with the Cubs. However, he was then traded to the White Sox where he had a bad end to the season. With the White Sox, he had a 5.09 ERA through 23 innings.
In 2022, he joined the Dodgers on a one-year contract and earned a 3.75 ERA. Kimbrel signed a one-year deal with the Phillies in 2023 and had his ninth All-Star selection with a 3.26 ERA.
Braves legend Craig Kimbrel might've ruined his Hall of Fame career in two months
That leads us to 2024 where Kimbrel signed with the Baltimore Orioles. The first half of the season was great for Kimbrel as he earned a 2.80 ERA through 35.1 innings with 23 saves. Unfortunately, he had a horrific drop-off during the second half. Kimbrel's second-half ERA skyrocketed to 10.59 over 17 innings with no saves, 15 walks, and 20 strikeouts.
That second half led to the Orioles designating him for assignment and potentially ending his career on a sour note. Kimbrel is 36 years old and while he could have value to a team in 2025, they may not get a lot of good innings out of him. Walks have been a huge problem, and opponents are hitting the ball very hard against him. Not to mention, he hasn't earned more than 25 saves in a season since 2018. That's not a recipe for success as a closer.
Kimbrel's Hall of Fame path could be tainted by such a terrible year in Baltimore. However, he is still fifth on the all-time MLB saves list with 440. He passed his mentor Billy Wagner on the list in April of 2024.
The second half of 2024 could have changed his trajectory for being a first-ballot Hall of Fame candidate. However, he will likely make it based on the first half of his career alone. He was elite and you'd be hard-pressed to say he wasn't the best closer in baseball for eight consecutive years.
He will be remembered by Braves fans as one of the best closers in franchise history. However, it's hard to see him struggle so badly towards the latter half of his career. Hopefully, he can rebound next season and finish his career on a high note.