The Atlanta Braves have repeatedly tried to match the Philadelphia Phillies with an arm for an arm and a leg for a leg during the past few seasons to stay competitive in the NL East. But when it comes to their latest addition to their roster, times appear to be becoming quite desperate in Atlanta.
On Tuesday, the Braves have reportedly signed former Phillies closer Craig Kimbrel to a minor-league deal, first reported by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The 36-year-old veteran reliever now returns to the organization where he began his illustrious, but now turned roller-coaster, MLB career.
In a surprising observation by Phillies Tailgate, Kimbrel will join Héctor Neris, Dylan Covey, Enyel De Los Santos and Jake Diekman as former Phillies players that are currently on minor-league contracts with the Braves organization. Apparently, Atlanta is quite fond of players that have previously played for Philadelphia in their now love-hate relationship with their arch division rivals.
Former Phillies closer Craig Kimbrel returns to NL East as Braves make desperate bullpen move
Having lost key bullpen arms such as Jesse Chavez, John Brebbia, A.J. Minter and Luke Jackson this offseason to free agency, there was no question that the Braves needed an overhaul of their relief corps heading into the 2025 MLB season. Bullpen stalwart Joe Jiménez also underwent knee surgery, which will keep him out until at least August; he could potentially miss the entire 2025 campaign. This loss of depth forced Atlanta to desperately look to options from any source possible. What better way to do so than to take their chances on what’s left in free agency, at this point in time? Especially if the name is quite familiar.
Kimbrel is coming off a down season in 2024 with the Baltimore Orioles, in which he posted a 7-5 record with 23 saves in 29 opportunities, alongside an inflated 5.33 ERA and 1.36 WHIP. He surrendered a whopping 31 walks and recorded 73 strikeouts in just 52 1/3 innings pitched over 57 relief appearances. Things got so bad for the 15-year veteran that he even lost his closing duties to former Phillies reliever Seranthony Domínguez, of all people, down the stretch, and was ultimately released from the organization prior to the end of the season.
Despite a much better performance with Philadelphia in the year prior, Phillies fans nevertheless remember Kimbrel most for his postseason hiccups at the most important moments. That reputation was earned during the 2023 NLCS against the Arizona Diamondbacks, which ultimately cost them the series.
Most likely, the Braves are hoping that Kimbrel can somehow rediscover his prior dominant form. After all, in his five seasons in Atlanta, he compiled a 15-10 record with 186 saves, along with a sparkling 1.43 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, and a whopping 476 strikeouts in just 289 innings of work over 294 appearances. But, of course, that took place more than a decade ago, so the Braves will need a lot of luck on their side, given Kimbrel’s most recent performances.
As for the Phillies and their fans, they should more than welcome the former closer back into the NL East division. Now, they can lick their chops in preparation for feasting on Kimbrel and the Braves whenever they meet this upcoming season.