It took some time, but one of the game’s greatest relief pitchers finally found a home with the Cubs after shedding the draft compensation that attached when he turned down a qualifying offer from the Red Sox. The Boston organization won’t get a draft pick for letting Craig Kimbrel walk, and the Chicago club won’t have to part with one. The Cubbies will, however, pay Kimbrel $10MM for his services down the stretch and $32MM for two more campaigns (along with a $1MM buyout or $16MM vesting/club option for another).
On the one hand, it’s notable that Kimbrel was still able to secure a significant, multi-year guarantee at this stage of the season. On the other … well, this still feels light. Entering the offseason, following some late-season stumbles from Kimbrel, we predicted $70MM over four years. That was stepped down from what might have been anticipated entering the 2019 campaign; after all, Kimbrel’s 2018 effort was among his most dominant. There were risks, sure, but that’s why we guessed a four instead of a five-year pact.
Kimbrel isn’t going to pitch for the Cubs for the entirety of this season, so there’s a reduction in price there. Even accounting for that, this contract still falls shy of the one the Rockies gave Wade Davis in the 2017-18 offseason. That three-year, $52MM pact (with a fourth-year vesting/club option) seemed like an obvious floor for Kimbrel. After all, Davis was an older pitcher who couldn’t match Kimbrel’s levels of dominance. And the Davis contract was signed even though it cost the Rox a second-round draft choice.
While it’s certainly hard to fault Kimbrel for preferring the best-available multi-year arrangement at this stage, he’s probably leaving some upside on the table by taking that route now rather than going for a pure rental agreement. It’s also still a significant commitment for a Cubs team that declared itself out of money over the winter but found some in the interim (in some part through an unusual situation with an expensive veteran). This isn’t a risk-free transaction; far from it, particularly given Kimbrel’s most recent on-field showing and the fact that he’ll be ramping up in the middle of an ongoing season.
How do you grade the signing from the team’s perspective?
(Poll link for app users.)
i don’t know if he’ll be worth that $10 million this season, but he’ll be worth it in the postseason, and he’ll be a bargain next year.
As someone who almost had multiple heart attacks watching him in the postseason last year, all I have to say is I’d pump the brakes on that assumption for now.
I hear ya mr burrito but as a Sox fan myself, with those same heart palpitations, I’d much rather have him wearing our laundry than Chicago’s threads for the next three years. They gambled with Braiser and I’m having the same palpitations again….
100%. His history in the playoffs is sketchy at best and last year was NO exception.
I guess this signing means the Cubs have locked up another World Series win this year and next. Oh, wait, the Phillies locked it up when they signed Harper. Or was it the Padres who locked up next year, if not this year, when they signed Machado? Heck, why should the Cubs even have to play the remaining games? The World Series win is in the bag. Right?
and the white sox didnt do anything and will never be close to a world series for years to come.
Do you not remember last postseason? Technically he blow a save but he was so scary the Red Sox had Evoladi and Sale close the world series games
I gave it a B since a B+ isn’t available. I feel like there is too much negativity around this signing- Kimbrel doesn’t have to be the greatest closer in the game to earn this contract, he just has to be very good. For a guy whose 2.74 ERA last year was the 2nd worse of his career and was striking out 14 batters per 9- I’d say that’s pretty solid even if it is the beginning of a decline.
I agree.
Also, this is a head start in rebuilding the bullpen for next season since Strop, Cishek, Kintzler, Brach, and some guy named Morrow will be free agents or won’t have their options picked up.
I’ll say B or C at the moment. Worried about how good he’ll be in first few weeks. But since I don’t like any teams in the NL Central, I guess it won’t matter. I think Brewers can still win division tho.
Nobody seems to think that a half a season off could actually be beneficial. I’ll be interested to see if there’s an uptick in his velo.
As a sox fan I never felt like it was a lock when he came it. I know he’s the fastest to 300 saves and has career lowest ERA to any closer but it was ugly most of the time. I always felt like he’s on verge of just blowing up any appearance. Then the postseason was even worse
I’ll give a grade in about 2 months.
Of course you will.
Ah yes, that hindsight always seems 20/20 doesn’t it?
Because teachers grade papers before they read them, right?
Well, I’m some cases, it seems like they do.
The contract is the paper in this case. You’re waiting to grade the paper until you see the final project…
Touché.
As long as he shows up in the postseason (assuming the Cubs make it), he’ll be well worth the amount Theo gave him.
Cheap a** Braves smh!!!!….Sincerely, your daily whiney Braves fan
All signing grades are TBD until we see how he throws.
How can anyone not grade this with an A. The Cubs added something they needed. They fell into the situation by happenstance with Zobrist, and smartly took advantage of the saved money. This is one of the shrewdest moves by a team in quite sometime.
“Shrewdest moves by a team in quite some time? This was a pretty obvious move by a team in need that has the money to do this. The Zobrist thing aside, don’t think this was a brainstorm by Theo by any stretch!
I bet Theo has been Ricketts whispering for quite some time.
“How can anyone not grade this with an A. The Cubs added something they needed. They fell into the situation by happenstance with Zobrist, and smartly took advantage of the saved money. This is one of the shrewdest moves by a team in quite sometime.”
I gave it a ‘B.’ It’s going to take a while for him to round into mid-season form, if he even gets there at all. Apparently people have short memories with regards to Greg Holland.
He didn’t participate in Spring Training last season and jumped right in.
I think he’ll be ready earlier and better than many are predicting. I’m certain he’s read the articles, tweets and insta-Google-snap-book posts all stating he has greatly declined and will want to prove people wrong.
Gave it a B with very high potential to go to an A.
The history of lTe signings had been pretty bad. That’s why I didn’t give it an A. Clemens is the only one I can think of who worked out.
Greg Holland is not even close to the caliber of pitcher Craig Kimbrel is. And the reason why Holland struggled was because the Cardinals gave him less then a week to get his arm ready.
Really? It’s just a team that spends big spending even more
What’s happening Mr Pot..wtf
C+
I can’t wait to hear the same ones singing about how great this signing is, crying about this time next year! I see this being a disastrous move for them. 31 year old arm that was breaking down last year. Those HOF numbers are going to get blasted.
A little extra, don’t you think?
Why would any fan cry about this signing? It fills a desperate need. It didn’t cost the Cubs a draft pick or loss of international signing bonus dollars with the QO gone. It didn’t put them over their budget or over the luxury tax threshold. It didn’t cost them any return in players or prospects. It cost the Cubs nothing but reasonable dollars for a closer who has put up HOF numbers and is still just 31-years old.
This signing deserves nothing but an “A” grade regardless of what transpires from here on out because there was no better alternative that included the exhaustion of all internal options.
You’re right, but ya gotta love the Cub haters and their over reactions. Nothing about this says “disastrous” unless of course, you’re the fan of another NL Central team.
And it resulted in a championship. Move on you fools.
Say what you want about Kimbrel last year, he still didn’t blow any postseason games.
I’m excited for the Cubs and hope he closes out all of Lester’s wins.
– Red Sox fan
Saying he didn’t blow any saves is a way to thinly veil his cardiac 2018 post-season. The Sox also didn’t allow him to close out game 7 of the World Series, which is a slap in the face to any closer. As a Sox fan, I was exuberant to see him go.
You have a bad memory.
It was Game 5.
Kimbrel had pitched in the first four games.
The Sox were up by four runs
They went with their ace who had not pitched since Game 1
Sounds like a perfect situation for Maddon to overuse Chapm… oops, I mean Kimbrel.
For real though, this is a good signing. It made sense during the offseason, and it makes even more sense now. Not only is he better than every reliever they currently have, he’s a guy you can put in when you absolutely need a strikeout, which is something they are/were severely lacking.
Maddon definitely over used Chapman, but I think it had as much to do with him knowing they weren’t in contention to sign him again. So overusing him, wasn’t a concern. Kimbrel is going to be around for at least another two years. Doubt Maddon overuses him as in a way that could be a detriment to him in the future, but I think we may see him overused strategically. He’ll be Maddon’s shiny new toy. Hopefully the fact that he won’t have as grueling a season by virtue of it being greatly shortened, we get a well rested pitcher, at midseason form in the post season.
I wonder how many people remember when the Brewers made a run and had C.C. Sabathia – they rode his arm into the ground and then some.
As a RS fan, I’d have signed him for the remainder of the year, if that was possible, but had little interest in a l/t deal.
Here’s what I don’t get:
“after all, Kimbrel’s 2018 effort was among his most dominant.”
It almost feels like the author left out the key word ‘was not’. Kimbrel was good in 2018, but not nearly as good as he had been. It was his worst FIP of his career, and his BB/9 was a scary 4.5.
Having said that, I still gave the move an A. While he is no longer an elite closer, he’s still pretty good, and 2.5 years feels pretty low-risk.
And he should fire his agent.
Kimbrel ran hot and cold with the Sox. He had a rough preseason with his daughter’s situation and I think never got to the dominant level of the previous year. I think this year could easily be problematic as well. But give him some time and I think he can still be ridiculously good down the road.
Naturally the clown haters are gonna hate. It’s what they do, it would be comical if it weren’t so pathetic. Can’t find any fault in this deal for the Cubs. It was the one glaring need they had to address and Jed/Theo did so in a HUGE way. He’ll be very well rested, fresh and that’s big as well as most blamed his performance last October on being tired and overworked. To think they got him for no prospects, not even a draft pick and less money than Wade F’n Davis signed for?!? Yeah, even a knowledgeable hater has to give the Cubs props on this one.
“Naturally the clown haters are gonna hate” Let them!
Indeed! Troll tears are my fav! LOL
I loved me bitterness. Waited my whole life for it and it’s even sweeter than I imagined. Please keep it up.
I’m far from a Cubs fan, and I gave it an A. They addressed an area of need, and did so by acquiring one of the hostorically best closers the game has ever seen. Sure, he may not be Kimbrel from his mid twenties or even 2017 Kimbrel, but there’s an excellent chance that he is still one of the best bullpen arms in the game. Wish the Cardinals would also put forth an effort to upgrade their obvious area of need.
Have this poll again after he blows the NLCS
lofl..eat those sour grapes skippy
Cub fans, get ready for some edge of your seat saves or historic melt-downs. There should be a separate category for bases-loaded saves. The old hound dog ain’t what he used to be.
but better what they have in the pen now which is the whole point
” There should be a separate category for bases-loaded saves. The old hound dog ain’t what he used to be.”
Which will be less stressful than the Cubs current 9th inn options that have blown 11 saves this year,
Yeah I’m having a hard time believing it can get much more stressful than Steve Cishek, a sidearm thrower who loves his slider, which he has issues locating anywhere near the plate on occasion, or Kyle Ryan, a cross body thrower who tops out at a blistering 90mph.
Yeah, no prospects given up… not even a draft pick and they get one of the best closers in the game for less than what Wade Davis signed for. Also, and this is key in my opinion, the rear factor is huge. He was clearly running on empty last post season. He’s gonna be really fresh down the stretch and into the postseason. No innings on that arm so far in 2019 for a proven stud closer.
I understand the sad lil haters are gonna hate… because that’s what they do, but all things considered, this is an EASY A for Jed/Theo. It was the one glaring need on that team and they addressed it in a BIG way and only gave up money to do so.
Completely agree. Kimbrel is rested, and while he may not be ready for live games for a month he has thrown exactly zero high stress pitches season to date. He should be hitting his stride by August and won’t be gassed by the post season like it seemed he was last year.
Props to the Cubs FO for acting quickly and decisively to fill a serious need. Most GMs would produce lip service and excuses for why they didn’t sign Kimbrel, but Hoyer/Epstein spared us the blah-blah-blah and got it done.
As a Brewer fan it was a good sign by the Cubs. Morrow is essentially useless. Strop and Kimbrel is a solid 8/9 id say. They addressed a need that was clearly an issue. We will see how he does with the time off, but hes a proven pitcher. Crew needs to get Dallas and trade for Will Smith yesterday. Making the Marlins look like the 27 Yanks SMH
Many (if not most…) teams could use Craig Kimbrel right now. But he was not lights out in the second half: 6.23 BB/9, 4.57 ERA (vs. 3.58 FIP), 25.0% GB% (vs. 29.9% in 1st Half), 30.0% Hard% (vs. 25.6% in 1st Half).
I was thinking the same thing but still a big sign. Hes a heart attack on the mound. tends to have hour long innings but hes still a proven closer. I still like Hader and Smith if we get him in our pen though. Hader has had some bad games but alot of that I feel is on Grandal. Not a huge fan of his pitch calling. Either way the NL Central just got more exciting than it already was. Props to Theo for pulling it off thought the Cubs were broke lol
Heart attack on the mound?
In 38 of his 63 appearances last year he allowed no hits. His zone percentage was down so he walked a few more guys, but it looks a lot more like an aberration to me than a trend. His swinging strike rate was better than his career average as was his chase rate.
Sorry meant in the playoffs mostly last year.
This would be better than the Cards signing Holland to a one year deal last year… if it was a one year deal.
So this is what I see here:
Cubs fans think this is the greatest deal in history and there is no decline and quote his 6/6 last postseason and that Theo is a genius.
Non-Cubs fans think Kimbrel is over the hill and point to his sharp non-save stat decline.
The truth is usually in the middle. this is a great signing for a team that desperately needed some bullpen help. this plus Strop back should really help out. This was also a lot of money to pay someone that is showing signs of a decline. But with a soon to be expiring core, the best shot for another push is probably now.
Clearly im a life long Crew fan but im also a fan of the game and can say when something was a good move. Bias aside it was a great pickup for an already tight division race. Killed me when i saw this news last night. Thought the Braves or the Twins were going to land him. If Dallas joins the Cards now ill run into traffic. Only issue i see was the years. Thought they would overpay for the rest of this season and next but who knows.
As a Cub fan and also a lover of the game in general, I think your take on it, is pretty dead on. I doubt without this move, the Cubs get into the playoffs. With 11 blown saves already, something like this was essential to even have a chance. Who knows if he’ll be everything the media are hyping him up to be, but if he’s “only” solid, it’s still gotta help em. This race is so damn great with all the teams playing competitive ball. I think it’ll go down to the wire and that the team (s?) that come out of the NL Central will be really hard to beat because of this season long division fight. Btw… Hader always makes me wanna “run into traffic”!
The idea is to take it as a whole, not just that blow up outing or bad inning in the playoffs. You mentioned Hader—I am absolutely sure that Brewers fans, although slightly painful, look at him as a whole and not the guy who has lost three games on ninth or tenth inning homers this year (and got bailed out on a fourth last weekend in Pittsburgh). His overall body of work is pretty tough to beat.
A lot of Cub fans are pretty irrational—Suarez hit the game winning homer off Cishek last week and people were all over him looking right past the 11 scoreless outings leading up to that. Imagine if Cishek or Strop or any other Cub pitcher had lost three games on homers this season?
Hader, Goldschmidt, Votto—-they are all traffic runners for me.
Agree with that, they were in a bad way. The Cardinals lackluster May was the story around here but considering we had the worst one since 1973 and the Cubs still couldn’t push their division lead to more than 3.5 games (or 4.5? Can’t remember) speaks to how poorly they’ve been playing too.
And @CrewBrew, I wouldn’t worry too much about us and Keuchel. It’ll take a lot more than him to fix the offense. And I’m really not super keen about a guy that is losing velocity off of an already slow fastball. We don’t need another Wainwright, much as I like him. .
One thing I will say is watch out if the offense picks up. We have a number of guys underperforming and the offense is far from anemic overall. Carpenter and Goldschmidt are two notorious second half players so the division better prepare itself for a lot of runs if those two can get it worked out.
No doubt, the Cards are gonna get tougher to beat. The thing is, there just aren’t any doormats in that division now. They just keep beating each other up. It’s like the freaking MMA.. Fun/agonizing to watch..
Goldschmidt’s 2nd half OPS is 65 points lower than his first half. Carp is 9 points lower in the 2nd half. And neither is a kid. OTOH, both are hot over the past 14 days.
Positives:
Fills a big need for the Cubs.
Reason average yearly salaries.
If he regains his normal form, will be a huge coup for the Cubs.
Negatives:
3 year deal for a reliever who has some question marks.
Finished last year terribly and with an atypical offseason, how will he look this year?
I give it a B. Could end up an A+ if he looks like the regular Kimbrel. Could end up an F if postseason Kimbrel shows up. But I think it’s more likely he’s the good version.
Really gotta say its a win.. 11 blown saves already.. Had they had a solid closer its reasonable to believe that they would have a 7 to 8 game lead just 60 games into the season adding kimbrel should only help even if he may not be the guy he has been in the past
I give it a solid be. Seems like an overpay, but a good signing based on need
Overpay? Look what Davis and Chapman got. Do you follow baseball?
Usually haters hate because they don’t have. All around solid move.
A+++. They got an elite closer at half the price other elite closers have signed for. That’s an objective fact, totally independent of anyone’s personal, subjective opinion of the specific player.
Assuming he will still be an elite closer moving forward is an opinion, not a fact. Even analyzing his numbers up to this point and saying it is elite is an opinion based on the arbitrary definition of “elite.”
Granted, I agree he has been elite through his career, just might want to reconsider your perception of what a fact is.
I’d grade this signing an A. Not a Cubs fan for the record. The Cubs got Kimbrel on a short contract with a below market value despite no QO being attached to him.
If he had been willing to sign only a 3-year deal last winter he would have signed with someone in December or January and pitched the entire season. Back then it was 5 years or nothing, and he wound up taking nothing.
And if the Cubs would’ve given him 5 years in December or January, they’d probably be in first place. Same for the Braves, and a couple of other teams that would’ve benefited greatly from a lights out closer.
So who’s the biggest loser in this standoff: Kimbrel for losing $35M or so, or the multi-billion dollar teams that are struggling to make the post season because they weren’t willing to spend that extra cash? Besides, if Kimbrel pitches well, he’s gonna get another pay day, no harm no foul.
Also, what if the result of the owners winning this little standoff is that come next CBA negotiations ALL the players decide to wait until June to start the season? Who’s the bigger loser then, the owners forfeiting about $4B in revenues, or the players forfeiting two months salary in exchange for some sweet revenge? (not to mention a much more favorable CBA)
If he pitches well, I’d imagine his option would vest, and he’d hit free agency again at 35. This is probably his last free agency pay day.
Great money in the real world!
So your point is Kimbrel got what he deserved… taking a well below market value contract out of desperation?
Kimbrel started too high and certainly chased teams away, but this contract is WAY below market value.
Even with no qualified offer attached.
Even with several teams knowing they need a high end relief arm now well into the season.
Even with record setting revenues continuing to climb.
Baseball’s negotiating field is very broken right now.
Cubs will start their own TV Channel next season. It will bring in an estimated additional 50 million in revenue. Keeping their core together should not be an issue. Bryant and Baez are both under team control through the completion of the 2021 season.
A for the cubs, completely failure of the braves! Totally embarrassing
Grade A. They got a 30-year-old elite closer for two years plus a vesting option. How is that not a win?
*2.5 years plus a vesting option.
My uncle can squat 385lbs
Tight.
He must be picking up your aunt.
If/when Morrow returns, the Cubs will have one sick bullpen:
Kimbrel-Morrow-Strop-Edwards-Monty- then some combination of Kintzler-Cischek-Brach-Chatwood.
I think it works for both sides. Kimbrel can pitch, and even if he isn’t as lights-out as was a few years ago, he’s going to be effective for the balance of his contract. And the long-term money just isn’t there for relievers–the recent big-dollar signs aren’t consistently working out, so Kimbrel just got himself a $45M guarantee against potential health and declining performance issues. Until we see a new CBA, this might be as good as it was going to be for someone in Kimbrel’s situation
In the short term it’s an A. In two years it could be a D. This move allows the Cubs to hold prospects for now in-case they make a trade. Cubs are in good shape except for the fact they play in a competitive division and aren’t guaranteed first place.
I don’t know if this is the right place to post this, and it may just be my phone, but after I vote the results graphic is so wide it won’t fit on my screen even when I turn my phone sideways. Kind of awkward having to scroll left and right to see it.
When it comes down to it, unfortunate circumstances included, this is basically a trade of Addison Russell and Craig Kimbrel for Ben Zobrist and the last arm in your pen. It also now may allow the Cubs to package someone to improve the left side of the pen (Ryan/Montgomery) if they are inclined to. Of course, they can’t pitch every day, but now with Brach, Strop, Kintzler, Cishek and Kimbrel you have guys with closing experience than can be utilized in the 6th inning. I’m not saying that Brach and Kintzler are even 10 save guys, but you are surely much more comfortable with them in the 5th or 6th inning rather than the 8th.
And it’s June 6th, not October 6th—-I can make a good guess that this is not exactly the roster that will be out there in the playoffs if they make it. There is nothing wrong with depth and numbers.
they had no other option, as they have little to trade, and 3 years is a reasonable length. if the results don’t happen, they will add to the list of contracts that don’t work out. If he is fully healthy, it could be a solid signing.
I gave it a B. Situationally, it is an A++. Cubs need pen help above all RIGHT NOW. However, it is a long season. Undoubtedly, this will make their pen deeper. But I can’t give an A for a few reasons.
-what happens in July when Cubs need starting help? Everyone is going to say they should have gotten Keuchel
-too uncertain how his performance will be, given the circumstances
-he could end up being shaky in the postseason
Still say it was definitely the right move (coming from a Brewers fan). If any other team was going through the same troubles besides big market who can afford this it is a lot harder to justify because of money. Even the Red Sox, a team with $$, didn’t sign him. That tells us something right there. All in all, this will more likely than not make the Cubs a lot tougher to top in the Central. B+
“Kimbrel’s 2018 effort was among his most dominant.”
Huh? Highest FIP of his career for the regular season, and his playoffs were pretty bad to boot
A hopeful “B”. Most pitchers signed without spring training have regressed. Who knows which Craig Kimbrell the Cubs are going to get right now?? But, by play off time, he should be an asset!! I also give the organization and Theo an “A” for making future solid moves right now. Not waiting!! Unlike the Cardinals organization who are more interested in keeping their money and dividing it between the owners. Plus, the Cardinal owners could care less about purchasing or trading for upgrades in their hitters and starting pitching!! President of Cardinal Baseball Operations, John Mozeliak is content on sitting on his own thumb as usual. Which will lead to another missed playoff season. Who will the owners blame it on this season?? Mozeliak?? Nope! It will be some other fall guy. Hopefully not Girsch. As long as Mozeliak is connected to the Cardinals, they will never surpass the Cubs and Now the Brewers.
The Cubs made 0 moves this year and only made this one because Zobrist is getting a divorce. This was out of desperation because their bullpen was shot to heck.
The Cardinals made several moves this offseason. They traded for two top hitting targets over the last two years and signed one of them for 5. They signed their ace from last year to a 4 year deal. They got the most heralded reliever on the market besides Kimbrel (who wanted a king’s ransom until now). Eventually, the players gotta play. I’m not sure if there was some kind of interdimensional glitch on your computer, but you are certainly not watching the 2019 Cardinals in this universe.
Yay for the Cubs. Three smart deals in a row. Extending Bote and Hendricks and then signing Kimbrel
I give it an F
Sincerely,
Craig Counsell
At this point the years or money not very important.. Cubs have a window with this team if they win one more championship before his contract expires then its a huge win.. With this talent I think they feel they need to win again or its a failure for theo and company
Grade for the 2019 Cubs on June 06: A
Grade for the 2020+ Cubs: ?
That’s the problem. The second grade can’t be ascertained until we see what comes of this year. If they don’t win (or don’t make it to the playoffs), it’s a terrible deal. If they do, and they make it deep and then Kimbrel forgets how to pitch? Well then you can probably deal with it.
The only reasons this isn’t a bad signing is the terrible state of the Cubs pen. At best, he’s gonna be an avg closer. This guy didn’t get signed for a reason and it wasn’t the draft compensation.
You have no clue. But you already know that. Go follow soccer.
Obviously an A for this signing! The other point I read was from a scout who had attended Kimbrel’s recent workout for teams. He said he was “electric”! Now I know that doesn’t translate to the real season, but it tells me he has kept in shape and throwing while waiting this whole thing out. They say he’ll be ready by 6/20 which would be great. I would be happy if he was ready to go after the ASG.
Gave it a B till I can see what he looks like when he stands on the bump for the Cubs. Sitting out for close to 3 months of the season will be hard to come in and pitch extremely well. Could be a great signing and I review and regrade to an A or could even review and regrade a C if he ends up being just an average reliever and will look over paid. Only time will tell
Give Theo and Jed credit for going all in…only two grades available and that will be A if he helps you get to the NLCS and anything short of that is a F.
Has to be A , look at all the money Atlanta saves to resign Donaldson seeing Reily is the new LF.
Cubs signing Kimbrel A
Cards not signing kimbrel F
Brewers not signing Kimbrel F
Instead of getting 6 minor league players like Xavier Cedeno
Kendell Graveman
Allen Webster
Tony Barnette
James Norwood
Alec Mills
They should have signed
Kimbrel
Traded for Ken Giles
Traded for Edwin Diaz (would not have been easy.
That’s 3 solid relievers. 7th, 8th and 9th.
Acquiring for three closers, but only using one of them as your closer, makes no sense. You’d be better off with one closer, and two cheaper setup guys. Your suggestion reminds me a little of the Nats desperate attempts to shore up their BP.
They wound up trading away Treinen & Vazquez, both AS closers, and top-15 prospect Luzardo.