Craig Kimbrel, Phillies Reportedly Agree to 1-Year, $10M Contract

The Philadelphia Phillies have shored up their bullpen by signing right-handed reliever Craig Kimbrel to a one-year, $10 million contract, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Kimbrel will be reuniting with former Boston Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski in Philadelphia. Dombrowski worked for the Red Sox from 2015 to '19, and Kimbrel spent three seasons in Boston from 2016 to '18.

Dombrowski took over as president of baseball operations for the Phillies in 2021.

The 34-year-old Kimbrel has been on the move quite a bit in recent years, spending last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, his sixth different organization since 2014.

After signing a three-year deal with the Chicago Cubs in 2019, Kimbrel was traded to the Chicago White Sox in 2021 before being flipped to the Dodgers last offseason in exchange for outfielder AJ Pollock.

He became a big part of Los Angeles' success in 2022, recording a 3.75 ERA, 22 saves and 72 strikeouts in 60 innings. The squad posted the best record in the majors during the regular season before falling to the San Diego Padres in the National League Division Series.

Consistency has been a problem for the veteran, however, which was especially seen in 2021. After producing a 0.49 ERA across 39 appearances with the Cubs, he had a 5.09 ERA in 24 games with the White Sox.

The eight-time All-Star was one of the top closers in baseball during his prime, posting a 1.43 ERA across five seasons with the Atlanta Braves, adding 14.8 strikeouts per nine innings.

With his past success and lengthy experience, Kimbrel could be a valuable addition for his new team.

The only question is whether his up-and-down play makes him a trustworthy option in high-leverage situations.