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By Noah Camras
Contributing Sports Writer
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Veteran right-handed reliever Craig Kimbrel, who was designated for assignment by the Atlanta Braves over the weekend, has cleared waivers and elected to enter free agency.
Kimbrel, 37, was DFA'd after just one appearance at the big league level with the Braves in which he pitched a scoreless inning, allowing a hit and a walk while striking out one.
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The Braves received tons of criticism for the move as Kimbrel had been stashed away in Triple-A all year rather than getting an opportunity at the major league level. Once he finally got the opportunity, they let him go after one appearance. The fact that Kimbrel began his career with the Braves and is a franchise legend didn't sit right with many people.
Nevertheless, Kimbrel is now headed to free agency, where he'll look for his next opportunity. Kimbrel proved he can still pitch in his age-37 season, as he made 18 appearances in Triple-A, sporting a 2.00 ERA with 23 strikeouts over 18 innings of work.
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Kimbrel was initially selected by the Braves in the third round of the 2008 MLB Draft. He debuted with Atlanta in 2010 and spent the first five years of his career with the Braves, making four All-Star teams, winning the Rookie of the Year award and finishing as high as fourth in Cy Young voting with two top-five finishes.
Kimbrel was traded to the San Diego Padres, where he spent the 2015 season. After the season, he was traded to the Boston Red Sox, where he'd spend the next three years, earning three consecutive All-Star selections.
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Since then, Kimbrel has bounced around, playing for six organizations: The Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Baltimore Orioles and Braves.
Kimbrel was most recently an All-Star in 2023 with Philadelphia, sporting a 3.26 ERA over 71 appearances. He struggled in 2024 with Baltimore, though, finishing with a 5.33 ERA, his highest in a season with more than 25 appearances.
Kimbrel wanted to continue his MLB career this year, and officially made it happen with the Braves. Now he'll have to find another team to give him an opportunity.
Overall, across 838 appearances over 16 seasons, Kimbrel has accrued a 2.59 ERA with 440 saves. He's a nine-time All-Star and one-time World Series champion, winning with the Red Sox in 2018.
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