3 moves for the Chicago White Sox this offseason
By David Hill
Move on from Craig Kimbrel
The Chicago White Sox hold the ultimate wild card in the hunt for a closer in Craig Kimbrel.
While Raisel Iglesias is the best option in free agency, the secondary closers all have question marks. The same can be said of Kimbrel as well, as he struggled in 2019 and 2020 before his dominant run with the Cubs last season. His struggles with the White Sox after the trade deadline were chalked up to his inability to adjust to the eighth inning, but it is fair to wonder if there is more to the story.
Nonetheless, the White Sox picked up Kimbrel’s $16 million option for 2022 with one plan in mind – trading him. There are plenty of teams that are in need of a closer, which might allow the White Sox to come close to making up what they lost to bring him on board.
However, that should not be the primary focus. The White Sox need to get the best return for Kimbrel, even if that does not involve receiving the same level of prospects that they gave away. It is also possible that trading Kimbrel could address their other needs on the roster as well.
Craig Kimbrel was not what the Chicago White Sox had hoped for. He is back just to be sent away.