After a prolonged and unusual wait, Craig Kimbrel finally found himself a new team on Wednesday night.
Kimbrel agreed to a 3-year, $46 million deal with the Chicago Cubs, sending one of baseball’s top relievers to bolster the pitching staff of a World Series contender.
Kimbrel, who spent the off-season waiting for a deal that never came, had to wait until after the MLB amateur draft to sign. Teams were unwilling to sign him beforehand, as they knew that they would’ve had to forfeit a first-round draft pick if they signed him before June 4.
The Huntsville, Alabama native is one of the most decorated relief pitchers in the history of baseball. He became the youngest pitcher in the history of baseball to record 300 saves on May 5th, 2018.
The 31-year-old, who debuted with the Atlanta Braves back in 2010, spent the past 3 seasons with the Boston Red Sox, where he won his first World Series ring.
Kimbrel’s list of career achievements is unprecedented, including 7 All-Star nods and a career 1.91 ERA to go along with 333 saves.
He will immediately give Chicago’s bullpen a huge boost and provide them with a big edge come playoff time.
