Former Braves Closer Craig Kimbrel Finds 2026 Landing Spot

A former Atlanta Braves All-Star closer found a home for at least the 2026 Spring Training season. According to MLB insider Jon Heyman, Craig Kimbrel signed an minor league contract with the Mets, and it came with a invite to camp.

Craig Kimbrel agrees to Mets deal. Minors deal with MLB camp invite.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 25, 2026

Many have debated if we had already seen the last of the once dominant reliever. However, he keeps sticking around one way or another. As recently as last season, the Braves were trying to see if a reunion could work out.

He re-signed with the team toward the end of Spring Training and spent a few months building up in Double-A and Triple-A. After three scoreless innings with Columbus, he pitched to a 2.45 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP in 15 appearances with Gwinnett.

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Despite the promise, all of this culminated in a single appearance with the Braves in the majors. It didn't happen in Atlanta either. It came out in San Francisco. He pitched a scoreless inning, allowing a hit and a walk and striking out a batter. It was a messy inning. It required getting creative to make it scoreless.

The Braves decided to designate him for assignment the following day, and soon found himself heading to Texas. After he elected free agency, the Rangers picked him up on a minor league deal, but released him two months later.

The Astros picked him up and gave him a shot at the major leagues. He pitched to a 2.45 ERA in 13 outings, but also possessed a 1.34 WHIP. Baserunners remained an issue. The Mets are taking on the task of seeing if he can help fill out the bullpen.

He joins a bullpen that already has a former Braves reliever, AJ Minter. He signed with the Mets in free agency ahead of the 2025 season. It's bullpen that has seen some major changes this offseason. Edwin Diaz was swapped out for Devin Williams. Luke Weaver came in while Tyler Rogers went out. Kimbrel will be looking to be another name that the Mets have picked up that comes with some uncertainty.

There are zero guarantees he sees action in the majors this upcoming season, but he has a chance. At the very least, he could be headed to Syracuse for action.

During his first stint with the Braves, he was arguably the best closer in baseballwith a 1.43 ERAand 186 saves over five seasons. He led the National League in saves in four consecutive years and won Rookie of the Year in 2011. He remained a top closer for a few more seasons but has been dealing with inconsistent results since 2019.

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