Rangers Taking Potential Investment With Craig Kimbrel

The midway point of the 2025 MLB Season will be here before we know it. There is still plenty of time for all 30 teams to make up some ground and get closer to the potential they can achieve. The Texas Rangers (31-35 as of Tuesday) don’t have too much room to make up for, but they have to start making some changes if they want to challenge the Houston Astros and the Seattle Mariners for the AL West.  

Kimbrel Finds New Life After One Game With Braves

On Tuesday, the Texas Rangers made a move that could be a potential investment for the rest of the season. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports that former Atlanta Braves pitcher and nine-time All-Star Craig Kimbrel signed a minor-league deal with the Rangers. This move comes after Atlanta reassigned Kimbrel to the minor leagues after only one game with the Braves. 

On Friday, Kimbrel played his first game of the season after rehabbing and testing his pitching arm. In 14 pitches and one inning, he allowed only one hit and one walk while delivering one strikeout. While his speed wasn’t there yet, he had a significant impact. The Braves would fall to the San Francisco Giants 5-4 in 10 innings.  

 After attempting to return to the field for Atlanta, Kimbrel found himself back assigned. He opted to hit free agency rather than play for the Braves again this season. Many fans felt Kimbrel deserved justice with their posts on X.  

One fan said:  

“I figured it out…Kimbrel didn’t give up any runs last night. Can’t have that kind of success on the staff making the others look bad.” 

Another fan commented: 

“Craig got one look at this team and said ‘“The hell with this”’ 

One person who wasn’t a fan also commented: 

“I’m not a Braves fan but sitting Kimbrel in the minors all year and you let him pitch one outing and then you cut him loose? Brutal.” 

Rangers Taking Investment in Numbers With Kimbrel

Kimbrel now gets a chance with a more stable team in the Texas Rangers that is still recovering after their tough free-agent departures. The Rangers are in better shape than many other teams when it comes to their bullpens, but it might not always be that way through the rest of the season.  

The last time we saw a consistent set of performances at the Major League level was with the Baltimore Orioles last season. Kimbrel played 52.1 innings in 57 games while allowing 40 hits, 35 runs, 31 walks, and a 5.33 ERA while delivering 73 strikeouts. In the season before, Kimbrel was an All-Star selection with the Philadelphia Phillies. 

At 37 years old, Kimbrel isn’t the elite relief pitcher he was when he was in his first stint with the Braves from 2010 to 2014 and the Boston Red Sox from 2016 to 2018. He doesn’t have to be with the Rangers at this point in his career. Kimbrel has to remain healthy and try to regain some speed in his pitches. He can be a part of one of the most well-balanced and deepest pitching rotations, which is critical for teams trying to secure a playoff spot or the division by fall. Kimbrel could find his way to the Rangers’ roster soon if there are injuries or concerns of fatigue currently on the roster.

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