The Rays surprised the baseball world by signing likely future Hall of Fame pitcher Craig Kimbrel, adding a veteran presence to the bullpen well ahead of any forced move at the trade deadline, but with a similar effect.
Kimbrel joins his 11th professional team in Tampa Bay, having been designated by the Mets after allowing 10 runs in 15 innings, despite league average strikeout and walk rates through the first two months. He’d joined the Mets on a minor league deal that paid $2.5 million once he made
the roster out of camp.
For Kimbrel, going from a last place team to one of the American League’s best, with a reputation for getting the most out of pitchers in the last years of their career, must be a boon. For the Rays, they gain a veteran presence with playoff experience. It’s hard to see the addition as anything other than a win-win.
Kimbrel isn’t what he once in his age-38 season, but his fastball is as lively as it’s been in years — getting used 75% of the time — and we can trust the Rays will have some keen ideas on how to get the most of out his secondary pitches. It also helps that Kimbrel has an ability to go multiple innings as well, having faced 10 batters in his final appearance for the Mets.
A gamer, Kimbrel showed up to the Rays bullpen in Baltimore…
And went straight into an ugly game to help his new crew get through the night, picking up two strikeouts — including one on the slider.
Here is the Rays press release on signing Kimbrel:
The Tampa Bay Rays have signed right-handed pitcher Craig Kimbrel to a major league contract. To make room on the active roster, right-handed pitcher Jesse Scholtens was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right wrist strain. The club’s 40-man roster is now at 40 players.
A nine-time All-Star, 2018 World Series champion, and 2011 National League (NL) Rookie of the Year, the 37-year-old Kimbrel went 0-2 with a 6.00 ERA (15.0IP, 10ER), 15 strikeouts, six walks, and a 1.47 WHIP over 14 appearances with the Mets this season before being designated for assignment on May 22 and becoming a free agent on May 25. He signed a minor league contract with a non-roster invitation to spring training on Jan. 29 and was selected to New York-NL’s major league roster on April 11.
Kimbrel has gone 56-50 with a 2.65 ERA (836.2IP, 246ER), 1,297 strikeouts, 352 walks, 440 saves, 30 holds, and a 1.03 WHIP over 865 career appearances spanning 17 seasons with the Mets (2026), Astros (2025), Braves (2025, 2010-14), Orioles (2024), Phillies (2023), Dodgers (2022), White Sox (2021), Cubs (2019-21), Red Sox (2016-18), and Padres (2015).
The right-hander’s nine career All-Star selections are tied with Rich Gossage for second most in major league history by a reliever, trailing only Mariano Rivera’s 13. He was tabbed as the Mariano Rivera American League (AL) Reliever of the Year in 2017 and earned inaugural Trevor Hoffman NL Reliever of the Years honors in 2014. Kimbrel, who made four relief appearances for Team USA at the 2013 World Baseball Classic, was voted the sixth relief pitcher to earn NL Rookie of the Year honors in 2011, becoming the 10th player to unanimously win the award, after setting a major league rookie record with 46 saves. He debuted with the Braves in 2010 and made four consecutive All-Star appearances over his first four full seasons (2011-14), finishing among the top 10 in NL Cy Young Award voting following each of those campaigns.
Kimbrel’s 440 career saves are second most among active pitchers behind Detroit’s Kenley Jansen (483) and fifth most by any pitcher since saves became an official statistic in 1969, also trailing Hall of Famers Rivera (652), Trevor Hoffman (601), and Lee Smith (478). He recorded four consecutive 40-save seasons from 2011-14, tying the majors’ longest streak since 1969 (fourth time), a record he shares with Hoffman (two times: 1998–2001, 2004-07) and Francisco Rodríguez (2005-08). Kimbrel has recorded 12 seasons with 20 saves or more, tied with Billy Wagner for fifth most in the majors since 1969, trailing Rivera (16), Hoffman (15), Jansen (13), and Smith (13).
His 1,297 career strikeouts are tied with Jansen for second most among active relievers behind Boston’s Aroldis Chapman (1,354) and are tied fourth most by a relief pitcher in the modern era (since 1900), also behind Hall of Famers Hoyt Wilhem (1,363) and Gossage (1,340). Kimbrel’s seven seasons with 95 strikeouts or more in relief are tied with Chapman for the most in major league history.
The Huntsville, Ala. native was selected by the Braves in the 2008 (third round) and 2007 (33rd round) First-Year Player Drafts out of Wallace State (Ala.) Community College. At 37 years, 363 days, Kimbrel would become the oldest pitcher to appear for the Rays since Rich Hill (41.129) on July 18, 2021 at Atlanta.
