Major League Baseball’s Opening Day is just around the corner and Craig Kimbrel remains one of the biggest names still without a team.
Kimbrel’s free-agent market has been pretty nonexistent throughout the offseason, which many of his former teammates have voiced their frustration over.
But another National League closer is imploring his team to go out and sign the 30-year-old reliever.
Nationals reliever Sean Doolittle told The Washington Post’s Thomas Boswell that he absolutely would be okay with Washington bringing on another closer.
“I went into Davey Martinez’s office and said, ‘I have an empty locker next to me, right between me and Trevor Rosenthal,'” Doolittle said. “If we get (Kimbrel), I would be the first guy at the door to welcome him.
“I told Davey that I had some incentives in my contract (for saves), but a World Series check goes a long way,” Doolittle added. “I love closing. But I love winning more.”
Doolittle has converted 46 saves over the past two seasons, but there is little doubt that adding Kimbrel would further bolster late innings for the Nationals. And Washington fans have to be happy with Doolittle’s openness for a little competition for the betterment of the team.
But it’s likely that the Nationals’ reluctance to sign Kimbrel has little to do with how Doolittle would feel about bringing another closer into the folder, and more about money and term. Kimbrel reportedly is asking for a ton in each of those categories.
Who knows though, maybe Doolittle’s pitch is what finally gets Kimbrel off the market.
