Boston Red Sox shouldn’t sweat inconsistent Craig Kimbrel

By Tim Haberin | Apr 26, 2016

Apr 15, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel pitches during the ninth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports /

Craig Kimbrel hasn’t enjoyed the smoothest start to his time with the Boston Red Sox, but his new team shouldn’t worry just yet.

Craig Kimbrel is now 11 appearances into his tenure with the Boston Red Sox, and it’s difficult to make a definitive statement on the overall quality of his performance. The closer has gone 6-for-7 in save chances, but some of his other numbers don’t paint a picture of the dominant reliever we’re used to seeing. The 27-year-old has surrendered five runs in 10 innings (4.50 ERA) while walking five.

However, those who have watched Kimbrel this season know that his woes primarily stem from a pair of frustrating outings. On April 11 against the Baltimore Orioles, his third foray out of the Red Sox bullpen, the righty served up a tie-breaking three-run homer to Chris Davis in the top of the ninth inning. Kimbrel took the loss in a 9-7 defeat.

He experienced a similar outing last Sunday, April 24, against the Houston Astros. Kimbrel was again bitten by the long ball, as Colby Rasmus socked a game-tying two-run homer off him in the bottom of the ninth. Boston was able to salvage the game in extra innings, securing a 7-5 victory in 12 frames.

Take out those two bad days, and Kimbrel’s season reads a whole lot differently: 8.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 14 K. Those figures are certainly more reminiscent of his days with the Atlanta Braves, when he was arguably the most effective closer in the game.

More from Boston Red Sox

So should the Sox really be concerned moving forward? It’s definitely too soon to overreact. Kimbrel could see relatively smooth sailing the rest of the season and his April inconsistency will look only like a couple of early missteps. He did bounce back nicely from Sunday’s blown save during last night’s game against his former club. Kimbrel struck out two in a scoreless ninth.

Nevertheless, fans should take note of Kimbrel’s 2015 campaign with the San Diego Padres for an idea of how he might fare in the future. Although he posted strong numbers on the year (2.58 ERA, 39-for-43 in saves), it was a notable step down from his previous accomplishments. From 2011-2014 with Atlanta, Kimbrel managed a 1.51 ERA while averaging 46 saves per season. He led the National League in saves each year.

Hoping for a complete return to his Braves days might be a bit too much to ask, but at age 27 there’s little reason to think Kimbrel can’t remain one of the better closers in the league. Alex Speier of the Boston Globe points out that his average fastball velocity remains unchanged at just over 98 mph. Kimbrel’s use of his individual pitches might be more of a factor.

Speier notes that Kimbrel is throwing his curveball less often than in prior years as opponents are doing a better job of not swinging at it outside the strike zone. It might be a matter of him going back into his repertoire and getting an idea of what is working best at the present moment.

Fans should remember that last season also featured a rather rough beginning for Kimbrel. As Speier mentions, he owned a bloated 5.74 ERA through his first 17 appearances and then worked a 1.44 ERA for the rest of the year. This isn’t exactly uncharted territory for the reliever.

Next: What's wrong with the Astros?

Of course, Kimbrel will always be evaluated in Boston through the lens of the trade it took to acquire him. The Red Sox gave up four top prospects to San Diego, a price some thought too steep even for a high-quality closer. That move will continue to be debated, but in terms of Kimbrel’s performance for his new team, Boston is well within its rights to maintain a bullish outlook.

Home/Boston Red Sox