Craig Kimbrel’s long-awaited reunion with the Atlanta Braves didn’t just fizzle—it evaporated. One day, one scoreless inning, one emotional full-circle moment, and then designated for assignment.
It’s the kind of storyline that only baseball can produce. A franchise icon returns to the team where he built his name, puts up a clean frame, and then finds himself cut loose before the sun even sets on his comeback.
But before fans grab the pitchforks or scratch their heads too hard, this abrupt exit says more about the realities of aging arms and roster math than it does about sentimentality or loyalty.
A Quick Flash of the Old Kimbrel
Let’s break down what actually happened. Kimbrel came in against the Giants and danced through danger—allowing a hit and a walk—but used a caught stealing and a pickoff to escape the inning untouched. Vintage in feel, if not execution.
But just like that, the curtain came down. His spot on the roster? Gone. Austin Cox, a younger lefty with a live arm, was recalled from Triple-A to take his place.
For some, it’s baffling. A guy with 417 career saves and eight All-Star nods gets tossed off the roster after one appearance? But the writing was already on the outfield wall for those paying attention.
A Reality Check, Not a Rejection
Kimbrel’s 2024 stint with the Orioles was rough—an ERA north of five, control issues, and an alarming spike in home runs. Even in his better seasons between 2021–23, the gas would start to sputter by season’s end. The Braves took a flier anyway, banking on nostalgia and the possibility of one last flicker of greatness.
And hey, the flicker was there in the minors: a 2.00 ERA across Double-A and Triple-A, a 33% strikeout rate that still looked mighty impressive, but also a nearly 13% walk rate that hinted trouble might not be far behind.
For a contending team with a thin margin for error and a bullpen carousel that never stops spinning, that’s a lot of risk for a 37-year-old on a prorated $2 million deal.
What Comes Next For Kimbrel and Braves?
Kimbrel’s contract included a rolling opt-out. Any team could’ve swooped in before Atlanta called him up—but nobody did. Now, the Braves owe him around $25,000 for the cup of coffee, and Kimbrel gets to decide what’s next.
He can decline an outright assignment and test free agency again, or he could stick around in Gwinnett, waiting for a bullpen spot to open up—an outcome that wouldn’t be all that far-fetched given how often bullpens churn in today’s game.
Retirement? Doesn’t seem likely, at least not yet. But the clock is ticking, and for a once-dominant closer who’s now fighting just to stay on a roster, these next few days might define the final chapter of a remarkable career.
From fireballing phenom to fringe bullpen piece, the journey has been long—and if this is truly the end in Atlanta, it’s not the storybook finish fans might’ve hoped for. Still, in the span of one inning, Kimbrel reminded everyone why he mattered. And in baseball, that’s sometimes all it takes.
