Kimbrel returned to the Braves last season on a minor league deal, but made only one appearance with the team. He stayed with the Rangers for a while before landing in Houston. Kimbrel turned back the clock on the Astros, posting a 2.25 ERA with a 34.8% strikeout rate over 11 innings. At the end of the season he went back on the market.
The 2025 campaign was Kimbrel’s first without an MLB save in his illustrious 16-year career. It ended a streak of four straight seasons with 20-plus saves, an impressive streak for a reliever in his mid-30s. Kimbrel’s storied career hit a snag in 2024, when he posted a 5.33 ERA in 57 appearances in Baltimore. He coughed up the closer role midway through the year and was released before the season ended. Kimbrel didn’t attract much attention on the market heading into last season, as he didn’t sign with the Braves until the final week of Spring Training.
Kimbrel, who ranks fifth on the all-time saves leaderboard, didn’t make an All-Star team with the Phillies until 2023. The 37-year-old has lost a few ticks on his fastball since then, but he was still hitting near 30% last season. Free passes were the big problem for the Orioles, as Kimbrel struggled with a 13.4% walk rate. That number remained high (14.3%) during his short stint with the Astros.
Photo courtesy of Nick Turchiaro, Imagn Images
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