Should The Yankees Trade For Craig Kimbrel?

The Yankees’ bullpen started to hit their stride down the stretch of the regular season once they were finally healthy.

And in the offseason, there is one big time name they could potentially target on the trading block if they are looking for a high-upside candidate to upgrade this unit.

According to MLB Insider Bob Nightengale, the Chicago White Sox intend to pick up the $16 million option on relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel for next season and will attempt to deal him this winter.

If this turns out to be the case, the Yankees could possibly acquire Kimbrel at a discount asset-wise, as long as Brian Cashman is willing to pay his salary.

The Chicago #WhiteSox are expected to pick up reliever Craig Kimbrel's $16 million option and then trade him during the winter. He badly struggled as a setup man, allowing 31 baserunners in 23 innings, including a 5.09 ERA. There will be plenty of teams looking for closers.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) October 13, 2021

The 33-year-old got off to a historic start with the Chicago Cubs last season, producing a 0.49 ERA, 1.10 FIP and 0.70 WHIP to go along with 64 strikeouts across 36.2 innings.

However, Kimbrel struggled immensely after the Cubs dealt him to the crosstown rival White Sox at the trade deadline. Kimbrel was forced to change roles from closing games to being a setup man (to closer Liam Hendriks) and was never able to find his footing with his new team.

Kimbrel logged 23 innings with the White Sox, posting a 5.09 ERA, a 4.56 FIP and a 1.21 WHIP with 36 strikeouts.

Although the White Sox plan to pick up his option, the hope is they will be able to ship Kimbrel out of town and there is a chance he could find a home in the Bronx if the Yankees are interested.

READ: A Look at the Yankees’ Impending Free Agents

Like Kimbrel, Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman got off to a dominant start to the 2021 season, where he didn’t allow a run through his first 18 appearances. However, Chapman went through a nightmare stretch of his own from June until late-August.

Beyond enduring similar up-and-down seasons as each other, both Kimbrel and Chapman have a devastating arsenal of pitches and have had great success in their careers.

The Yankees also have a deep farm system which is how they were able to acquire Anthony Rizzo and Joey Gallo at the deadline by dealing mid-tier and lower-level prospects.

If paying Kimbrel’s full salary and sending a few mid-level prospects is all it takes for Chicago to say yes, the Yankees should be all over it. By acquiring Kimbrel, the Yankees would form a four-headed monster in the back of their bullpen with Jonathan Loaisiga, Chad Green, Chapman and Kimbrel.

Due to Chapman’s mid-season struggles, Kimbrel’s vast experience as a closer could provide the Yankees with some insurance in the ninth inning should a similar scenario play out next year. Chapman is also entering the final year of his contract, which will pay him $18 million in 2022.

Depending on the asking price, it might make sense for Cashman to put a call in to Chicago to see if there is any room to negotiate a trade for Kimbrel, who is an eight-time All-Star, a two-time Reliever of the Year and a four-time NL saves leader.

Not to mention, the Yankees know Kimbrel very well after he spent three seasons with the Boston Red Sox, helping them capture a World Series title in 2018.

For the Yankees, landing Kimbrel could be a low-risk, high-reward move that would once again give them an elite bullpen, which is something we’ve become accustomed to seeing in New York over the past several seasons.

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