Philadelphia Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski saw up close what Craig Kimbrel could provide a bullpen when they won a World Series title with the Boston Red Sox in 2018.
Now, Dombrowski hopes the veteran right-hander can make a similar impact for the Phillies next season.
Philadelphia reportedly signed Kimbrel to a one-year deal worth $10 million Friday, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
The Phillies will be Kimbrel’s seventh team of his major league career as he spent last season pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he posted a 6-7 record along with a 3.75 ERA and 22 saves.
The 34-year-old Kimbrel is an eight-time All-Star, including earning the accolade for all three years he was with the Red Sox from 2016-18, but he hasn’t pitched to that level the last couple of years. After winning a World Series with Boston, Kimbrel pitched for the Chicago Cubs for two-plus seasons while also having a brief stint with the Chicago White Sox.
The addition of Kimbrel will help bolster Philadelphia’s bullpen as it looks to get back to the World Series after falling short in the Fall Classic to the Houston Astros.
That’s clearly Dombrowski’s goal as he already spent big on Trea Turner while also bringing in former Red Sox reliever Matt Strahm as well as starting pitcher Tijuan Walker.
Now, Dombrowski’s reunion with Kimbrel will have Phillies fans hoping that the two can recapture the same magic they did four years ago.
