What The Braves Should Expect From Craig Kimbrel Reunion

The reunion with a legendary closer is a go, and while expectations are low for him nowadays, the Atlanta Braves might be able to work their magic again

The Braves might be able to work their magic with Kimbrel in the reunion / Daniel Shirey-Imagn Images

A reunion that many Atlanta Braves fans never expected to happen has arrived. Closer Craig Kimbrel is back. Even if it’s on a minor league, some of the details that come with the signing indicate that there’s more to it. 

According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, Kimbrel is expected to spend the next few weeks in Triple-A getting in shape. If everything looks good, he’ll be back in the Braves bullpen and would make $2 million in the majors. 

Kimbrel’s reputation has been streaky since his first stint with the Braves ended a decade ago. In 294 games in Atlanta, he had a ridiculous 1.43 ERA. He was receiving comparisons to Mariano Rivera, who was in the final years of his legendary career when Kimbrel broke in, due to his rate of picking up saves - back when there was more affinity for the stat. 

However, since 2019, he’s had a career 3.90 ERA with multiple seasons with an ERA over 5.00. A surefire Hall of Famer saw his career go off the rails and now the expectation is he’s going to blow it. 

So, the short answer is that the Braves are likely keeping their expectations low. 

But perhaps with the Braves, there’s a chance he can correct course and remind everyone of who he was. After all, the team has developed a reputation as of late for resurrecting the careers of multiple pitchers in their twilight years. 

For example, the righty set-up man Joe Jimenez had a 5.24 ERA with the Detroit Tigers over six seasons. He’s had a 2.81 ERA in two seasons with the Braves. Meanwhile, former member of the bullpen Jesse Chavez seemed to only play well if he was wearing a Braves uniform. It could be the same for Kimbrel.

He’s also shown flashes of his old self in the last couple years. In 2023 with the Phillies, he had a 3.26 ERA overall but had a 2.20 ERA from June 1 onward. The Braves just need to use their magic to tap back into that again. It can be done, and they very likely know this. 

The Craig Kimbrel reunion saga is officially a go. How long this saga ensues is to be determined. But the potential of seeing him run it back is too enticing to want to see it. 

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