Former Philadelphia Phillies All-Star Closer Reunites With NL East Rival Braves

The Philadelphia Phillies might have to face off against their former All-Star closer after he signed a deal with the Atlanta Braves.

Oct 20, 2023; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel (31) pitches during the eighth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks in game four of the NLCS for the 2023 MLB playoffs at Chase Field | Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia Phillies are hoping they field a relief staff that is good enough to win in October.

That's been one of the main issues surrounding this team whenever the playoffs begin, and seemingly no matter who is coming out of the bullpen, it's been a challenge for them to consistently get high-leverage outs when it matters most.

One of the scapegoats of those struggles was Craig Kimbrel.

The future Hall of Famer signed with the Phillies ahead of the 2023 season, and after he put together an All-Star campaign where he finished with a 3.28 ERA and was 23-for-28 in save opportunities, he had a rough showing with a 6.00 ERA and two losses in the playoffs.

Kimbrel was not retained after the year and he signed with the Baltimore Orioles for 2024.

Things didn't go well for the right-hander with his new team, getting released in late-September after second half struggles saw his ERA balloon to 5.33 with six blown saves.

Now, Philadelphia could see their former closer in division once again.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that Kimbrel has signed a minor league deal with the Atlanta Braves, the franchise that selected him in third round of the 2008 draft.

During his five seasons with the Braves, four of them being full, he won the NL Rookie of the Year Award in 2011, made four All-Star teams from 2011-14, finished inside the top 10 of NL Cy Young voting four times and in the top five twice, while also leading the National League in saves four times.

At 36 years old, Kimbrel isn't that version of himself anymore, evident by what has occurred the past two seasons, but he could still be a thorn in the side of the Phillies if he's on the active roster at any point in 2025.