The Atlanta Braves front office has faced steady criticism this season. The team is underperforming and facing one of the worst seasons in years. Starting pitching has been solid for the most part, and the offense has recently shown signs of improvement.
However, the bullpen has been a revolving door and a massive struggle. The bullpen has a 3.82 ERA over 214 innings pitched and has them ranked 14th among all MLB bullpens. Alex Anthopoulos didn't address the need for relievers this offseason, and it has hurt them quite a bit.
Former Braves closer Craig Kimbrel had been sitting at Triple-A for a little while, and the front office finally gave him a shot while Atlanta was on the road. He made an appearance against the Giants and pitched a clean 1-2-3 inning. However, he struggled with command, and his velocity maxed out at 93mph.
It was his first MLB outing since September 2024, so it was expected that he would be a tad rusty. What fans didn't expect was for Kimbrel to be designated for assignment the very next day. You would have thought they'd at least give him a few appearances before cutting him.
That didn't happen, and the Braves outrighted him to Triple-A, but Kimbrel elected free agency instead. The future Hall of Famer signed a minor league deal with the Rangers shortly after. Yes, he didn't have a very impressive outing, but it was a strange way to treat a veteran reliever.
This decision received criticism from veteran catcher James McCann, who is currently with Triple-A Gwinnett. McCann was teammates with Kimbrel in Baltimore last season and he went on to say that said the move bothered multiple players in the Gwinnett clubhouse.
James McCann voices his frustration with Braves after Craig Kimbrel is designated for assignment
“It was strange to call him up for a day and DFA him. He’s not just a run-of-the-mill reliever who became a journeyman after two or three years in the big leagues. He’s a future Hall of Famer.”
He went on to mention that putting up zeros is the most important thing at the end of the day. Another interesting detail is that he has a similar contract structure to Kimbrel's. There is a rolling opt-out clause built in that states the Braves have to promote or release McCann if another team offers him an MLB contract.
McCann's been hitting well at Triple-A, but he is blocked by Sean Murphy and Drake Baldwin. They have been an impressive tandem for the Braves this season, so it doesn't feel like that will change anytime soon.
McCann seems to be happy with the opt-out because it respects his service time of 10 years and gives him a chance to get back into the bigs. He said he feels like he has "something to give" and is focused on controlling what he can control.
“I wouldn’t be sitting in Triple-A if I didn’t think that. If I didn’t think I could help a major-league team and perform at a major-league level... like I said, I’ve got my 10 years. I would go home and be a dad. I still feel in my heart I have a lot left to give the game.”
A return to a major league diamond doesn't seem likely for McCann with Atlanta. The only reason he may get that opportunity with the Braves is if they were to trade Murphy/Drake Baldwin or if an injury were to occur.