Braves president reveals plans for Craig Kimbrel

Craig Kimbrel is turning heads in the minors and could force the management's hand to promote him soon. While not many are expecting Kimbrel to pitch at 100 miles per hour, the Hall of Famer could still be an effective closer for the Atlanta Braves.

Last season, after signing a one-year, $13 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles, Kimbrel compiled a 7–5 record and 5.33 ERA with 73 strikeouts and 23 saves. Ahead of the ongoing season, Kimbrel signed a minor league contract with the Braves.

On Tuesday, on The Show alongside MLB insiders Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman, Braves president Alex Anthopoulos revealed the organization's plans for Kimbrel to step back to the major league mound.

“We are hopeful and optimistic we can get the first half of 2024 Craig Kimbrel with the Orioles,” Anthopoulos said (43:56 onwards). “He pitched really well, had some things going on in the second half of the season, and things didn’t go well for him.”

Kimbrel, who was an All-Star candidate through the first half of last season, has struggled with consistency lately. However, Anthopoulos noted a positive trend in recent outings.

“His velocity is starting to climb. I’d say his last two or three outings have been very strong — been very good,” Anthopoulos added. “He’s definitely on the radar, definitely being talked about.

“We’re not ready to make a move right now, but he’s trending in the right direction.”

Craig Kimbrel features in back-to-back games in minors

According to Braves insider Mark Bowman, Craig Kimbrel pitched back-to-back for the first time this season with Triple-A Gwinnett on Saturday. His fastball peaked at 94.4 mph, which is a good number.

After his outing, Kimbrel improved his ERA to 1.38 along with 15 strikeouts across 13 innings between Double-A and Triple-A. Bowman added that the Braves might call up Kimbrel soon.

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In that case, the Braves could replace Rafael Montero with Kimbrel. Montero has struggled on the mound and struggled to hold his own in high-leverage situations. As such, he's one player the Braves may look to send back to the minors.

Montero boasts a 5.06 ERA, but what's more worrying is his walk rate - a dismal 17.8%. Enyel De Los Santos is another bullpen pitcher the Braves may look to replace Kimbrel with. Like Montero, De Los Santos has struggled in tough situations.

About the author

Krutik Jain is a journalist who has been reporting on baseball at Sportskeeda since 2022. It was in 2018 when the baseball bug bit Krutik, and already a cricket fan, he credits baseball's rules and Clayton Kershaw's pitching to have hooked him to the game.

A Kershaw and Mookie Betts fan, Krutik rates his favorite team LA Dodgers triumphing over Tampa Bay Rays in the 2020 World Series as his best baseball moment so far. His answer to the perennial "one player from the past you could meet" question is Jackie Robinson. Despite never having seen him play, Robinson's impact, legacy and trail-blazing journey have left an indelible impact on Krutik.

A rigorous fact-checker, Krutik likes reporting on the technical aspects of the game as well as off-field elements. When not watching baseball, Krutik is busy playing cricket, staying up to date with the happenings around the world and hiking.

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Edited by Bhargav