Phillies to sign reliever Craig Kimbrel, per reports

One of the greatest relievers in major-league history is heading to Philadelphia, according to multiple reports.

Right-hander Craig Kimbrel has agreed to a free-agent deal with the Phillies, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported Friday night. The contract is for one year and $10 million, according to ESPN‘s Jeff Passan.

Kimbrel, the owner of 394 career saves, has been a dominant closer for most of his 13-year big-league career. He first emerged in the National League East, winning 2011 NL Rookie of the Year with the Atlanta Braves. The eight-time All-Star also has a previous connection to Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, as the longtime executive acquired Kimbrel with the Boston Red Sox in 2016 before the team won the World Series in 2018.

Now 34 years old, Kimbrel is not the force on the mound he once was. Still, he was effective with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2022, posting a 3.75 ERA in 63 games with 22 saves. He’ll figure to be a reliable arm in the back end of the Phillies bullpen to replace the departing David Robertson.

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