Veteran reliever Craig Kimbrel and the Houston Astros have reached an agreement on a Major League contract, according to sources. This addition seeks to strengthen the Astros’ bullpen, which has presented recent difficulties, as the team fights to maintain its lead in the American League West Division.
Kimbrel, at 37 years old, joins his ninth team in MLB and the second this season. Previously, he pitched one inning for the Atlanta Braves before being assigned. He spent the last two months with the Triple-A team of the Texas Rangers, where he recorded an ERA of 3.86 and struck out 28 batters in 21 innings.
Considered one of the most prominent relievers of his generation, Kimbrel has played for seven Major League teams since 2021. Now he arrives at an Astros team that needs bullpen reinforcements due to the shoulder injury of their closer, Josh Hader.
Houston’s lead in the American League West over the Seattle Mariners is two games, following Thursday’s 7-2 victory against the Baltimore Orioles.
During the first three months of the season, Houston’s relievers stood out among the best in the league, with an ERA of 3.47. However, since July 1st, the performance of the Astros’ bullpen has declined, with an ERA that exceeds by more than one run (4.69 before Thursday), a decrease in the strikeout rate, and increases in walk and home run rates.
The Astros manager, Joe Espada, has relied heavily on relievers Bryan Abreu, Steven Okert, Bryan King, and Bennett Sousa. The Astros are one of three teams, along with San Diego and Kansas City, that have five relief pitchers with more than 50 innings pitched this season.
Houston hopes Kimbrel can provide an option in the late innings to alleviate the bullpen’s workload. Since signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2023, Kimbrel has saved 68 games and struck out 240 batters in 180⅓ innings. However, his 4.00 ERA was almost double the 2.18 he recorded in his first twelve seasons in the Major Leagues, when he was one of the most feared closers in the game.
According to Statcast, Kimbrel’s fastball velocity has decreased from a high of 98.3 mph in 2017 to an average of 92.8 mph in the minor leagues this season. He continues to throw his signature knuckle curve and has also added a slider.
