, the houston Astros have added a veteran presence to their bullpen, signing reliever Craig Kimbrel. The move comes after Kimbrel was released by the Texas Rangers just a month after signing a minor-league contract with them [[1]].
Kimbrel, a seasoned closer, brings a wealth of experience to houston. While his 2024 season with the Atlanta Braves saw a career-high 5.33 ERA in 57 appearances, his overall career ERA remains under 2.50 with over 14 strikeouts per nine innings pitched.He had one appearance for the Braves this season, throwing one inning of shutout ball with a strikeout, a walk and a hit allowed. [[3]]
This isn’t Kimbrel’s first encounter with the Astros association. He was a member of the 2017 Boston Red Sox team that lost to the Astros in the American League Division Series, a series remembered for the Astros’ eventual World Series championship [[2]].The Astros anticipate Kimbrel will slot into a high-leverage role, potentially as a setup man or even closer, providing support to Bryan Abreu and filling the void left by the injured Josh Hader. Manager Espada’s strategy regarding the bullpen hierarchy with Kimbrel, Abreu, and a potentially returning Hader remains to be seen.