The Atlanta Braves have made an interesting roster move.
Nine-time All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel was designated for assignment by the Braves on Saturday.
Left-hander Austin Cox was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett as the corresponding transaction, per ESPN.
This move is kind of surprising. Kimbrel was called up prior to Friday’s game versus the San Francisco Giants and pitched a scoreless seventh inning, allowing one hit, one walk and striking out a batter on 14 pitches.
Kimbrel, 37, debuted in 2010 with the Braves and pitched with the club until 2014. He was an All-Star in four consecutive seasons with Atlanta.
Kimbrel then pitched in 57 games for the San Diego Padres in 2015 and had an All-Star caliber season but wasn’t named to the All-Star team.
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The funky right-hander spent the next three seasons with the Boston Red Sox and earned All-Star nods in each season, as well as a World Series championship in 2018.
In 2019, the wheels began to fall off for Kimbrel. He had a 6.53 ERA in 2019 and a 5.28 ERA in 2020 with the Chicago Cubs.
In 2021, Kimbrel dazzled with the Cubs, posting a 0.49 ERA in 39 games before being traded to the South Side rival Chicago White Sox.
He returned to his 2019 to 2020 form with the White Sox, posting a 5.09 ERA in 24 games but still earned his eighth All-Star appearance.
In 2022, Kimbrel had a 3.75 ERA in 63 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He then pitched for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2023 and was an All-Star for the ninth time.
Last season, Kimbrel posted a 5.33 ERA in 57 games with the Baltimore Orioles. He signed a minor league deal with the Braves this season and only appeared once.
If this is the end of the line for Kimbrel, he had a fantastic career. He is fifth all time with 440 saves and has a career 2.59 ERA in 838 games, all out of the bullpen.
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