Craig Kimbrel is this year’s greatest mystery of Major League Baseball free agency, and one of his former teammates can’t believe he’s yet to sign a contract.
The pitcher currently is a free agent and has not found a new team after Boston Red Sox said the club believes it has options to explore internally for its next closer. Kimbrel spent the last three seasons in Boston and has a career 1.91 ERA with 333 saves.
He’s been linked to the Minnesota Twins and Washington Nationals. And even though he’s drawing interest, Brock Holt said Kimbrel has yet to field an offer.
Holt told the Boston Herald’s Michael Silverman he met up with the pitcher about a month ago in Boston, and said Kimbrel told him he “can’t even say yes to anyone because I don’t have an offer.”
“I think for us players, it’s frustrating to see,” Holt said. “The fact that we still have so many good players that haven’t signed is frustrating. If you’re a team, you want to put the best team on the field, and you’ve got guys like Craig Kimbrel out there who don’t have a job and you’re telling me you’re not going to be better with him on your team? So, it’s frustrating.”
Although he struggled in the postseason, the 30-year-old still could offer a spark to a bullpen, especially the Nationals who, although have a trio of pitchers who have closed out games before, don’t have an experienced closing pitcher.
Opening Day is just mere weeks away and there’s no telling if, or even when, Kimbrel will sign with a team.
