Craig Kimbrel may potentially be returning to his roots this winter.
WEEI’s Rob Bradford reported Thursday that the free agent closer’s market “would seem to be down to” the incumbent Boston Red Sox, the Philadelphia Phillies, and “maybe” Kimbrel’s former team, the Atlanta Braves. Later in the day though, the aforementioned Phillies agreed to a two-year deal with David Robertson, indicating that they may be out of the running for Kimbrel.
The soon-to-be 31-year-old Kimbrel, who posted a 2.74 ERA with 42 saves in 47 opportunities in 2018, spent his first five career seasons with the Braves from 2010 to 2014. There, he first established himself as one of baseball’s marquee relievers, making four All-Star teams and leading the National League in saves for four consecutive seasons.
Complicating matters may be the length of the deal Kimbrel reportedly wants. But for a 90-win Braves team that split last year’s closing duties between AJ Minter and Arodys Vizcaino, it’s a position where they could stand to improve.
