Craig Kimbrel’s draw spanned months to last year’s regular season, and all along, the Braves were viewed as a favorite to land the toughest pitcher for a few reasons. Primarily, the Atlanta bullpen was in ruins at the time, and obviously, there was also a long history of nothing more than incredible memories between the two sides.
Kimbrel came up with the Braves organization and made his major league debut at age 22 in 2010. He then ended that season with an unheard-of 0.44 ERA, and even though it was a sample of just 21 appearances, he showed no It was a fluke over the next four seasons, making four consecutive All-Star games and leading the National League in saves each year. However, after the 2014 season, the Braves had no choice but to take things down and start from the bottom, which meant swapping one of the greatest closers of all time in a salary dump by including Melvin’s horrendous contract. Upton. Kimbrel ended his five-year career with the Braves with a minuscule 1.43 ERA.
Fast forward five years and Kimbrel became an unrestricted free agent after playing a critical role in the 2018 Boston Red Sox World Series career. There were rumors about him looking for a contract in the $ 100 million range. However, no team moved, even the Braves, who desperately needed help from the bullpen, until the Cubs signed him on a three-year, $ 43 million deal in June 2019, which was really a $ 48 million deal, considering it was worth it. a prorated salary of $ 10 million last year and owed him $ 16 million in 2020 and 2021. There is also a $ 1 million purchase for the 2022 season, which the Cubs will almost certainly charge unless things change quickly.
Last year, Kimbrel was a disaster. He only appeared in 23 games for Chicago, recording a 0-4 record with a 6.53 ERA, which includes 3 saves in 16 attempts. And this season, Kimbrel got off to an even worse start after his first outing yesterday in which he closed with a three-run lead. He proceeded to walk four batters and hit another while recording just one before finally being eliminated from the game. Fortunately for him, the Cubs were able to hold on and win by one run. Still, it’s clear that Kimbrel is no longer the closer and perennial All-Star he has been throughout his career, and may be considered one of the Cubs’ worst free-agent signings.
On the other hand, the Braves dodged a bullet by passing their former star. Fans were sold out of nostalgia, but this is just a reminder that GM sometimes knows more. Alex Anthopoulos has done a good job so far in his decision making when it comes to free agents. Given Liberty Media’s stinginess over the years, signing Kimbrel would have been detrimental to the team’s future success. However, it’s worth noting that the money the Braves saved by passing on to Kimbrel wasn’t exactly tapped. Cole Hamels signed a one-year, $ 18 million contract with Atlanta this offseason, and there’s a good chance he won’t even pitch after being recently placed in 45-day IL. Still, moving on to Kimbrel leaves the Braves with a lot of flexibility to move forward.
