2) Craig Kimbrel
Check your pulse if you’re not at least a little intrigued by the idea of Craig Kimbrel in Mets camp. A long-time Atlanta Braves villain has come to the Mets on a minor league contract with a real shot to make the team. They have the bullpen opening.
Kimbrel is coming off of a 12 inning season with all but one frame coming as a member of the Houston Astros. We can’t really judge him off of that success. What might be most alarming about Kimbrel’s career is how far he fell in his last full major league season in 2024. He had a 2.10 ERA before his final outing of the first half. He got obliterated down the stretch with the Baltimore Orioles, pitching to a 10.59 ERA in his final 17 innings across 18 appearances.
His 38th birthday comes up in late May, suggesting he’s a good candidate to retire after this coming year. In fact, if things don’t get well in Mets camp, he’s someone who might not make it into a regular season again.
The impressive resume he’ll carry with him into what could be a Cooperstown speech in another couple of seasons makes him a much different free agent signing than we’ve seen David Stearns make. He’s not an Indy Ball guy who throws hard or a Winter League star. Kimbrel is a guy the Mets will try to milk a few more innings from. We can’t blame them for inviting him to camp. It has high potential with a quick hook.
