We are now at the point in the Major League Baseball offseason in which things are pretty quiet.
This doesn’t mean there aren’t players out there who will help teams in 2025, but things are just at a standstill. Recently, the free-agent reliever market started to heat up but there are still some solid players available.
One player who is available and has some familiarity with the Boston Red Sox is nine-time All-Star reliever Craig Kimbrel. The veteran reliever spent three seasons in Boston from 2016 through 2018. He was a part of the 2018 World Series-winning squad and has spent time with the Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, and Baltimore Orioles since.
He had a rough 2024 season with Baltimore and logged a 5.33 ERA across 57 appearances. Kimbrel was much better in 2023 with the Phillies and had a 3.26 ERA across 71 appearances. He also had a 3.75 ERA in 63 outings with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2022.
Kimbrel didn’t have a good season in 2024, but he could be an intriguing buy-low candidate in free agency. It ahs been rumored that the Red Sox want to add another bullpen piece after a rough year in 2024. A lot of top names have flown off the market but Kimbrel remains available.
He’s now 36 years old so he may no longer be the dominant, top-tier closer he once was. But, he could be an intriguing option to add more depth at a low cost. At this point, why not at least bring him in for Spring Training?
