Craig Kimbrel has signed with a new team.
Kimbrel reached a one-year deal with the Philadelphia Phillies that will pay him $10 million, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
Kimbrel joins a team that made it to the World Series last season while using several different relievers for saves. The 34-year-old had a disappointing season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He went 6-7 with a 3.75 ERA and got dropped from the closer role.
Kimbrel has been great throughout most of his career, but he has become more unreliable since leaving Boston after the 2018 season.
Kimbrel posted consecutive seasons with over 5.00 ERAs for the Cubs in 2019 and 2020. He was completely lights out with them in 2021, which led the White Sox to acquire him in a trade. He disappointed while pitching in a setup-man role for the White Sox though.
Dave Dombrowski, who is a president for the Phillies, acquired Kimbrel in a trade with the Padres in 2015. Kimbrel was excellent for the Red Sox and made the All-Star team in each year with them, which likely plays a big role in Dombrowski’s fondness for the veteran.
