Veteran reliever Craig Kimbrel and the Houston Astros agreed on a major league contract, sources told ESPN, adding a fresh arm to the Astros’ ailing bullpen as they try to hold on to their lead in the American League West.
Kimbrel, 37, will be joining the ninth major league team of his career and second this season after he threw one inning for Atlanta before being designated for assignment. He had spent the past two months with the Texas Rangers’ Triple-A team, posting a 3.86 ERA and striking out 28 in 21 innings.
One of the elite relief pitchers of his generation, Kimbrel has bounced among seven big league teams since 2021 and heads to an Astros team in need of bullpen help after a shoulder injury sidelined closer Josh Hader. Houston’s lead in the AL West over second-place Seattle is two games after Thursday night’s 7-2 win against Baltimore.
Over the season’s first three months, Houston’s relievers ranked among the best in baseball, with a 3.47 ERA. Since July 1, though, the Astros’ bullpen performance has cratered, with an ERA more than a run higher (4.69 entering Thursday), a dip in strikeout rate, and increases in walk and home run rates.
Astros manager Joe Espada has leaned 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, to have five relief pitchers with 50-plus innings thrown this season.
Houston hopes Kimbrel can help provide a late-inning option to stem the overwork. Since signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2023, Kimbrel has saved 68 big league games and struck out 240 in 180⅓ innings. But his 4.00 ERA was nearly twice that of the 2.18 he posted in his first dozen seasons in the major leagues, when he was one of the most feared closers in the game.
Kimbrel’s fastball velocity has dipped from a high of 98.3 mph in 2017 to an average of 92.8 mph in the minor leagues this season, according to Statcast. He continues to throw his patented knuckle curve and has added a slider, as well.