Andres Chavez
The New York Mets have been slowly making uncomfortable, but necessary roster decisions ahead of Opening Day on Thursday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. One of them involved a future Hall of Fame closer.
On Sunday, it was revealed that Craig Kimbrel, who was signed a few weeks ago to a minor league deal with an invitation to camp, has been informed that he will not be making the squad out of camp.
Kimbrel had the right to seek another organization and try to continue his MLB career, but he will instead stay with the Mets and be ready when he’s needed. It says a lot about the respect he has for the team because he doesn’t just want to be part of it; he also wants to win that spot.
Kimbrel, who is remaining in the organization, told Mike Puma of the New York Post: “I am going to stay down here in Florida and stay ready. My goal was to make the Opening Day roster. I am a little disappointed in that, but that is all on me.”
Showing The Right Attitude
Kimbrel’s fastball was far from its best, and he wasn’t elite from a results standpoint either. In six innings, the right-hander posted a 4.50 ERA with a 1.50 WHIP, walking five and striking out five. Evidently, he is not the same pitcher who opened his career with six straight seasons with an ERA under 3.00. He will be 38 during the regular season, and Father Time remains undefeated.
The Mets, however, are more than happy to keep him around and give him time to work on reaching, at least, his 2025 form. Last year, Kimbrel had a 2.25 ERA, albeit in just 12 innings of work. He struck out 17.
If he can keep his ERA below 4.00 and recover some of his fastball velocity and strikeout rate, Kimbrel could be a really useful pitcher for the Mets very soon. All parties need to remain patient, though.
Getting Ready To Help
Kimbrel will use his potential stint at Syracuse as a platform to get himself game-ready and, hopefully, put himself in a position for a call-up soon. The Mets bullpen is not exactly an elite unit, so he could sneak into it at some point if he does the right things in Triple-A.
Last week, Kimbrel said he wanted more velocity, but he is feeling great on the mound: “My body feels good, I wish I could show a little bit more out there velocity-wise, but I’m throwing some of my pitches like I want to.”
Fortune favors the bold and, in this case, those with a long track record of success and a flawless work ethic.
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