The Mets are adding another veteran reliever to the system.
Right-hander Craig Kimbrel has agreed to a minor league deal with an MLB camp invite, according to a report from The New York Post’s Jon Heyman on Saturday.
If Kimbrel, 37, appears with the Mets in the big leagues next year, it will be his 17th season in professional baseball. He appeared in just 14 big league games last year, allowing four runs (three earned) on 10 hits in 12 innings pitched, after signing a minor league deal and spending the majority of his time at Triple-A. The right-hander did strike out 17 of the 49 batters he faced with seven walks while pitching for Atlanta (once) and Houston (13 times).
He pitched to a 3.00 ERA and 1.051 WHIP across 39 innings over 42 minor league appearances last season. He tallied 51 strikeouts to 21 walks.
Kimbrel’s last full major league season came in 2024 with Baltimore, and it did not go well for him as he was designated for assignment in late September after losing his spot as the closer. In 57 appearances with the Orioles, he pitched to a 5.33 ERA and 1.357 WHIP over 52.1 innings with 73 strikeouts to 31 walks. He had 23 saves in 29 opportunities.
The Mets will hope Kimbrel can return to the form that made him a surprise All-Star for Philadelphia during the 2023 campaign. He had a 3.26 ERA and 1.043 WHIP across 69 innings and 71 appearances out of the bullpen, with 94 strikeouts to 28 walks.
However, after four good appearances to start the 2023 postseason, he had two blowups in save situations that cost the Phillies Games 3 and 4 of the NLCS. Kimbrel allowed four runs on six hits over six innings with five strikeouts and five walks in seven outings.
Overall, he has 440 saves to his name over his big league career, with a 2.58 ERA over 821.2 innings and 851 games.
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