Braves: Craig Kimbrel is back in the NL East

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For the first time since 2014, Craig Kimbrel is back in the NL East. Unfortunately, it won’t be for the Braves this time, as he’s inked a one-year, $10 million contract with the Phillies.

In general, I’m tired of every free agent under the sun making their way into the division, especially when the Braves have scraped together two pennies to spend this offseason. The Mets and Phillies had some catching up to do this winter, but they’ve done it and then some.

Kimbrel isn’t the shutdown closer that he once was with the Braves. He hasn’t been that guy since he was traded by Atlanta, but this is a fantastic addition by the Phillies. Despite pulling it together during the playoffs, Philadelphia had one of the worst bullpens in baseball all season. Adding Kimbrel to the back-end of their bullpen is a massive upgrade, making them that much bigger of a threat heading into 2023.

I’ll always appreciate Kimbrel for what he did as a youngster in Atlanta, but there’s no love lost now that he’s in Philadelphia. I’m hopeful the Phillies are getting the guy he’s been in Chicago and Los Angeles over the last several years, and not the player who was a seven time All-Star from 2011-2018.

Photo: Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire

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