Chicago White Sox: 3 landing spots for Craig Kimbrel
The writing is on the wall with Craig Kimbrel. The Chicago White Sox made it clear that they picked up his option for the 2022 campaign with the idea that they would trade him in the offseason. Adding Kendall Graveman on a three year deal essentially underscored that premise.
Even though Kimbrel is slated to be a free agent at the end of the upcoming season, and will receive $16 million this year, he is still expected to be one of the hotter names on the trade block. It is just a matter of the lockout coming to an end.
Three landing spots for Chicago White Sox reliever Craig Kimbrel
There are plenty of teams that are looking to contend that are in need of a closer. The White Sox should be able to move on from Kimbrel without issue. They may even get a surprisingly solid return considering his salary for the upcoming year and his struggles after being sent across Chicago.
Where will Chicago White Sox reliever Craig Kimbrel end up? Let’s take a look at three possible landing spots for the former All Star.
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are still planning on addressing their pitching staff as they have stated a desire to add another starting pitcher. Those concerns could be mitigated by addressing the bullpen instead.
In theory, the Mariners have their closer in Diego Castillo, who was acquired in a series of moves that involved Graveman being sent to Houston. There would be a bit of irony in Graveman heading to the Chicago White Sox, displacing Kimbrel who would take over his former role as Seattle’s closer.
This is also a move that makes sense. While the Mariners are looking to end their postseason drought, they also have a relatively young roster. Kimbrel has plenty of playoff experience, appearing in the postseason in eight of his 12 years in the majors and being part of a World Series winning team in 2018.
His presence would make a major difference in the bullpen as well. Castillo would slot in as one of the better setup men in the game, making the relief corps that much deeper overall. This also helps a rotation with a lot of question marks as the Mariners could go to the bullpen that much quicker.
The Seattle Mariners are looking to upgrade their pitching staff. Adding Craig Kimbrel would certainly help.
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox thought they had the ninth inning taken care of when they signed Matt Barnes to a two year extension.
Instead, Barnes completely imploded in the second half. He not only lost the closer role down the stretch, but was also kept off the postseason roster. While Barnes may be a solid setup man and his struggles could be explained away, he cannot be trusted with the ninth inning on a team with postseason aspirations.
It may be time for Kimbrel to change his Sox once again. He would give the Red Sox a proven commodity in the ninth inning, someone that would allow them to put Barnes in his more comfortable role as a setup man. This would again deepen Boston’s bullpen, something that would be needed as their rotation has plenty of health questions.
The Red Sox are expected to target their bullpen once the lockout ends. Closer is a clear need although the market is relatively thin in free agency. The Chicago White Sox may have the best option available, an arm that is desperately needed in Boston.
Craig Kimbrel had success with the Boston Red Sox, his run ending with a championship. It may be time to bring him back.
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies have been desperately seeking help in the bullpen for years. Closer, in particular, has been a revolving door as the Phillies have been unable to find anyone to hold that position.
Hector Neris, their on and off closer for the past few years, has left town. While he has been a rollercoaster throughout his career, this leaves a gaping void in the Phillies’ bullpen. Not only do they need to rebuild their bullpen once again but they also need to address the ninth inning.
Craig Kimbrel would be a great start to that process. The Chicago White Sox reliever has been a dependable closer throughout his career, something that has been lacking in Philadelphia since the days of Jonathan Papelbon.
There are plenty of setup men available in free agency. The Phillies can quickly overhaul their bullpen by making the right moves on the market, something that has been questionable in the past. However, if they are truly serious about fixing their relief corps, they need to go and add Kimbrel.
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The Philadelphia Phillies, once again, need a closer. Craig Kimbrel may be a temporary solution, but he is a better option than they have had in years.