Craig Kimbrel doesn’t view this homecoming as a farewell tour.
Kimbrel, who turns 37 this month, is back with the Braves, the franchise with which he began his illustrious career from 2010 through 2014. The team signed him to a minor-league deal hoping perhaps he has something left to give. And the Huntsville, Alabama, native returned home trying to extend his potential Hall of Fame career with a contender.
If one asks Kimbrel, he’ll tell you he believes he’ll be an asset for a reimagined Braves bullpen at some point this summer — and maybe even another one after that.
“It’s a great story,” Kimbrel said Wednesday from Coolray Field, where he’s undergoing a buildup period with Triple-A Gwinnett. “I’m back here in Atlanta where I started. But this is just how it played out. I’m not coming back here for a last hurrah or trying to have one more good year. I view this offseason as having a reset because I feel I can still do this. Not just this year, but for a couple more years.
“I’m not coming back because I think I can just do OK. I still feel like I can do great things. And that’s why I’m here.”
A 15-year veteran, Kimbrel is among the most decorated closers in history. He’s a nine-time All-Star. He’s finished top 10 in Cy Young voting five times. His 440 saves rank No. 5 all-time behind Mariano Rivera (652), Trevor Hoffman (601), Lee Smith (478) and Kenley Jansen (453).
Kimbrel has also pitched for the Padres, Red Sox, Cubs, White Sox, Dodgers and Phillies. He’s been part of nine postseason appearances with five franchises. He won a World Series with Boston in 2018.
Braves faithful will always associate Kimbrel with his original franchise. The Braves drafted him in 2008 and he made his debut two years later. He won Rookie of the Year in 2011 after recording 46 saves. He led the National League in saves for four consecutive seasons. While Kimbrel peaked at 50 saves in 2013, five short of John Smoltz’s single-season franchise record, Kimbrel became the Braves’ all-time saves leader with 186. Smoltz is second with 154 saves.
Embarking on a tear down, the Braves traded Kimbrel to the Padres just before opening day in 2015. It became one of the highlight trades of the Braves’ retool that has led them to an era that includes seven consecutive playoff appearances, six division titles and a 2021 World Series title.
Kimbrel was dealt alongside outfielder Melvin Upton Jr.’s albatross contract, which lessened the return. The player package in exchange for Kimbrel didn’t yield any long-term value, but the Braves used the acquired draft pick on third baseman Austin Riley, who played his way into the biggest financial commitment in team history.
Over the years, there’s been a constant thought that Kimbrel could return. He had been traded numerous times, so speculation was natural. He was heavily linked to the Braves during his extended 2019 free agency. His name was common in water cooler conversation as a fan favorite.
Did Kimbrel think he’d return?
“I don’t know,” he said. “I mean, that’s a hard question. I think it was really cool. I grew up a Braves fan. I got to experience the first part of my career as a Brave, and I got to do really well. Being traded away, they gave me a lot of opportunities. I got to be in places that I needed to be at certain times, and gave me an opportunity to win a World Series. If I was never traded away from Atlanta, those things may have never happened.”
The nostalgia is dandy, but the Braves are concerned with 2025. So is Kimbrel, who made it clear: “I wasn’t going to play for somebody who doesn’t want to win.”
Kimbrel been effective relatively recently. Kimbrel was an All-Star with the Phillies in 2023. He had a 2.80 ERA with 23 saves — along with 53 strikeouts in 35⅓ innings — to begin his Baltimore tenure last season.
Credit: CURTIS COMPTON / AJC
Credit: CURTIS COMPTON / AJC
After July 7, he had an 11.50 ERA in 19 appearances. He surrendered 25 runs in 18 innings. So despite the first-half success, the Orioles dropped Kimbrel in September. He showed enough — striking out 31.5% of hitters — that it didn’t seem like his career was absolutely over. But it certainly felt like it could be.
“I think I could physically still do it,” he said. “Towards the end of last year, I kind of questioned that. But where I sit today, I strongly believe I can still pitch at that level and do it with success.
“I’m in a much better place than I was towards the end of last year. I mean, outside of baseball, my physical health — I feel tremendously better each and every day. Just everyday life stuff, getting up and out of bed and not hurt, things like that. For the process of getting healthy, I’m working on getting back off the mound, getting in mechanical things, trusting my body.”
The Braves, having done little with their bullpen, decided to take a no-risk chance Kimbrel can contribute. “With Atlanta being so close to home, it was definitely (the best option),” he said. Kimbrel won’t need to close games. He won’t need to be an All-Star. Just a solid performance would be considered a coup whenever he arrives.
There’s no timetable for when that’ll be. He’s made six appearances in the minors. The swings and misses will be a strong indicator regarding his readiness, he said. His velocity has hovered in the low 90s, and it’s trending upward, but Kimbrel acknowledges it can’t be paramount to his viability anymore. His fastball velocity averaged 93.9 mph a year ago, his first season averaging below 95 mph.
“I learned last year when it comes to velocity, the velocity itself doesn’t really matter as much as how I use my pitches, masking my pitches,” he said. “I don’t throw 100 mph anymore, so I can’t just go out there and try to throw it by everybody. So it’s taking the mindset of a pitcher and using my pitches to get guys out.”
The Braves have endured an uneven start, but they’re expected to remain in the postseason mix throughout the summer. Kimbrel will hope he can become conducive to their cause.
Even by the player’s admission, that’d be quite a story.
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