Craig Kimbrel DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

According to Justin Toscano, a beat writer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Atlanta Braves right-hander Craig Kimbrel was assigned to Double-A Columbus on Monday. The Braves had signed Kimbrel to a minor-league deal, and he has spent that time ramping up at the team's complex in Florida, but he has yet to face any hitters. The assignment to Double-A suggests that Kimbrel and the Braves are taking the next step, hoping he still has something left in the tank and will help the Braves' bullpen in 2025. The 36-year-old struggled with the Baltimore Orioles in 2024 with a 5.33 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP, but he is still considered a future Hall of Famer and respected by many in the baseball community. Fantasy managers can continue to monitor his progress, as Kimbrel could hold value as a high-leverage reliever for the Braves. Still, Raisel Iglesias will likely continue to get the save opportunities, if and when Kimbrel arrives.

The Atlanta Braves have signed relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel to a minor-league deal on Tuesday. The future Hall-of-Famer is back with the Braves after spending the first five seasons of his career with the organization. Since then, Kimbrel has bounced around quite a bit, but currently sits fifth all-time in saves. He's coming off a rough year with the Baltimore Orioles last season. He registered a 5.33 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, with 23 saves in 57 appearances with the O's in 2024. Kimbrel figures to pitch in a high-leverage spot behind Raisel Iglesias in Atlanta. He should see the occasional save chances, but probably won't offer reliable fantasy value while Iglesias is healthy.

The Baltimore Orioles announced on Tuesday that they released veteran right-handed reliever Craig Kimbrel after recently designating him for assignment. Kimbrel opened the 2024 season as the Orioles' closer and saved 23 games for the second straight season, but the nine-time All-Star also struggled to a 5.33 ERA (4.18 FIP) and a 1.36 WHIP with 73 strikeouts and 31 walks in 52 1/3 innings out of the bullpen. Since the All-Star break, he posted an 11.50 ERA (7.44 FIP) with 21 strikeouts and 17 walks in 18 innings over 19 appearances to convince the Orioles to move on. The 15-year MLB veteran is 36 years old and is nearing the end of his career, but he should be able to latch on with another organization for the 2025 campaign if he wants to continue pitching. At this point, though, it's unlikely that Kimbrel will be used as a primary closer if he continues his career.