Philadelphia Phillies: A trade for Craig Kimbrel makes way too much sense
With the need for bullpen help glaring, Craig Kimbrel makes a ton of sense for the Philadelphia Phillies.
We all know the story by now when it comes to the 2020 Philadelphia Phillies; the bullpen was an absolute train wreck. You may think that is an overstatement, but no, trust me, it was an abomination. The need for high-end bullpen arms has never been more apparent, and luckily for the Phils’, there is a pretty darn good option available on the trade market.
The Chicago Cubs have entered all out sell mode, as they continue to try to shed salary in regards to the revenue crash of the 2020 Covid-19 baseball season. This was obvious when the team decided to non-tender slugger Kyle Schwarber (making him a free agent), and became even more obvious when they shipped star pitcher Yu Darvish to the San Diego Padres for what amounted to a bag of peanuts.
The Cubs still have an abundance of guys they could look to offload, and if I am the Philadelphia Phillies, I am picking up the phone to inquire about relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel. Yes, THAT Craig Kimbrel. The one who has 348 career saves, and has been one of the best bullpen options in baseball for the last decade.
More from Section 215
- 4 Eagles on the Bubble Who Have Clinched Their 53-Man Roster Spots
- Best Pennsylvania Sportsbook Promos: Win $650 GUARANTEED Bonus PLUS $100 off NFL Sunday Ticket
- 3 Punters the Eagles Must Target to Replace Arryn Siposs
- Cowboys Trey Lance Trade Proves How Screwed They Are With Dak Prescott
- Devon Allen Took Britain Covey’s Job on Eagles
Sure, the past two seasons have been rough for Kimbrel, as he has pitched to an ERA of 6.00 in 41 appearances since joining the Cubs. But this is still a guy who has pitched to a career 2.17 ERA in 583 career appearances, and has pitched in some big moments throughout his career.
Of course, there is the Dave Dombrowski connection here as well, as Kimbrel was a key cog of the 2018 Boston Red Sox team that went on to win the World Series.
His career 14.7 K/9 is sickening to look at, and for his struggles the past two seasons, the 14.5 K/9 he has posted in that span show the big time stuff is still there for the veteran. A change of scenery could work wonders for Kimbrel, and pairing him with new Philadelphia Phillies pitching coach Caleb Cotham could go a long way to re-solidifying himself as one of the best late inning arms in Major League Baseball.
With the Cubs desire to shed salary and the return that was given for Darvish, a trade for Kimbrel shouldn’t hurt the Philadelphia Phillies at all in terms of prospect capital. A couple lower tier prospects should suffice, as the big thing the Phils’ would have to do is pay Kimbrels’ salary of $16 million for the 2021 season. While this may seem steep, the fact that Kimbrel is essentially on an expiring contract (he has a team option for 2022), this is not something that would handicap the Phillies longterm.
What should the Philadelphia Phillies do with Adam Haseley in 2021?. dark. Next
On paper this makes a ton of sense. The Philadelphia Phillies desperately need another late inning arm (or two), and the Chicago Cubs desperately desire to shed salary; it appears to be a match made in heaven. Now it is on Dave Dombrowski to give Jed Hoyer a call, and not hang up the phone until Craig Kimbrel is donning red pinstripes.