Craig Kimbrel’s run with the Braves still stands as one of the great stretches a reliever has ever put together in Atlanta. For five seasons, he was the kind of closer who shut games down and made the ninth inning feel inevitable. His departure days before the 2015 season, when the Braves sent him to the Padres, landed like a punch to the gut for fans - even if the rebuild made the move understandable.
What Kimbrel did in a Braves uniform was flat-out overwhelming. He finished his time in Atlanta with a 1.43 ERA, 1.53 FIP, 12.1 WAR, 186 saves and 477 strikeouts. That wasn’t just good; it was franchise-defining.
The hard part has been everything that came after. Kimbrel has now pitched for 11 teams since leaving Atlanta, and for the past nine years he’s mostly had to live on one-year deals as injuries and regression chipped away at his effectiveness.
Braves fans got one more chance to dream on a reunion in 2025 when he signed a minor league deal, but that hope disappeared quickly. The team released him after just one appearance with the big league club, a move that made sense in the moment but still left a bad taste.
His decline has been painful to watch because the biggest issue is easy to see: the velocity isn’t what it used to be. Without that power on the fastball, hitters can sit on it much more comfortably, and that has helped explain why Kimbrel went two years without a save.
That drought finally ended with the Royals on August 22, when he picked up his 441st career save. The moment also reminded everyone where he still stands in the game’s record book. Even with the rough stretch late in his career, Kimbrel is fifth all-time in saves, trailing only Lee Smith, Kenley Jansen, Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera.
In Other News...
Tyler Mahle Just Forced A Braves Decision They Didn't Expect
Tyler Mahle arrived in Atlanta at the trade deadline as rotation depth, the kind of move that usually blends into the background by October. Instead, his first 23.2 innings with the Braves have made him look like much more than a short-term insurance policy, with a 1.52 ERA, a 3.00 FIP, 23 strikeouts and just five walks. For a club that has spent the season trying to piece together pitching answers, that kind of performance changes the conversation fast.
Now the Braves have a decision they probably did not expect to be making. Keeping Mahle beyond this season would mean weighing what he has shown in a small sample against the realities of the upcoming offseason and the uncertainty that comes with collective bargaining agreement talks ahead. For a front office that added him to stabilize the present, his early work has opened the door to a much more complicated question about the future. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Bullpen Gets One Encouraging Sign Fans Needed Right Now
The Braves have spent much of the season waiting for their pitching depth to sort itself out, and Robert Suarez offered a small but meaningful step in that direction. He has progressed in his throwing program, is out to 100 feet now and could move into bullpen sessions soon, with a rehab assignment expected to follow if all goes well.
For a staff that still has several uncertain arms in the mix, any forward movement matters. Spencer Schwellenbach, Hurston Waldrep and Spencer Strider are all continuing their throwing programs, while Joe Jimenez has been working through bullpen sessions after knee surgeries even though a return this season looks unlikely. The picture remains unsettled, but Suarezs progress gives Atlanta at least one encouraging sign to track as the season moves on. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Are Spending Big And Getting A Worrying Return
The Braves have not exactly tiptoed into this era of contention. Over the past two offseasons, they have leaned into free agency with real money, expecting that a few calculated additions would deepen a roster built to win now. Instead, the return has been uneven at best, with key signings such as Jurickson Profar and Ha-Seong Kim among the names that have not delivered the kind of impact Atlanta was buying.
Altogether, the club has committed about $148.25 million to free agents who have produced far less value than projected, a gap that becomes even more noticeable when the team is already in position to chase another postseason run. The Braves also stood relatively quiet at the trade deadline despite their strong record, leaving the front office under a familiar microscope as the season moves into its stretch run. [Read more 🡒]