It long has been known that Craig Kimbrel would be seeking a lucrative contract this offseason, but we now know just about how much the closer is looking for.
The hard-throwing right-hander has cemented himself as one of baseball’s premier closers — and if you ask his agent, the best of all time — and he certainly is looking to be paid that way.
A report from The Athletic’s Jayson Stark on Wednesday night, citing a pair of big league executive sources, revealed the type of contract Kimbrel is angling for.
Make no mistake, Kimbrel is a great closer. But that’s a lot of cash.
The 30-year-old, who will be 31 in May, had a tremendous regular season with the Boston Red Sox in 2018, turning in 42 saves with a 2.74 ERA. But he struggled mightily in Boston’s postseason run, posting a 5.91 ERA, allowing seven runs on nine hits with two homers in 10 2/3 innings over nine appearances. While he executed all six of his save opportunities, he seldom was able to appear in the playoffs without getting himself into some sort of trouble.
If teams are willing to look at that postseason performance as an anomaly, one would have to think he may be able to actually fetch a deal in that neighborhood.
