Dodgers: Craig Kimbrel Was Never a Fit For the Dodgers

Craig Kimbrel was a popular name among potential acquisitions by the Dodgers but that came to an end Wednesday night when he signed with the Cubs.

At last, the Craig Kimbrel sweepstakes are over.  The free agent closer signed a three-year deal (really 2.5) with the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday evening finally putting an end to one of the two big free agents who were waiting to be signed.  The Dodgers reportedly had talks with Kimbrel but it’s easy to see why talks never got serious, Kimbrel was simply not a fit for the Dodgers.

The primary reason he did not fit into the Dodgers’ plans was the lack of an opening at closer.  The Cubs signed Brandon Morrow to be their closer but he has been injury plagued over the last year.  The Dodgers have Kenley Jansen who has turned things around and gotten back to being the dependable closer that he is.  Jansen was not going to be moved into an eighth-inning role, and Kimbrel was not going to sign up to be a setup man.

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Outside of not having an opening at closer, the Dodgers were not going to give forty-five million to Kimbrel over three years after the big contracts they have handed out to Joe Kelly and Kenley Jansen.  Jansen and Kelly together make approximately twenty-six million dollars so adding another fifteen million a season didn’t make sense for LA’s roster construction.  Kimbrel would have helped but there was not a match between the Dodgers and him.

Even if the Dodgers were able to add Kimbrel, there is no guarantee that he would be a difference maker in October.  Kimbrel’s playoff record has been spotty, and he was on the verge of multiple meltdowns in the 2018 postseason.  The Dodgers’ bullpen has talent, they just need to turn it around and use the good stuff that they possess, especially Ferguson and Kelly.

Now the Dodgers will look for other upgrades to help bolster their bullpen.  The other upgrades are available via trade and a few of them are Shane Greene, Tony Watson, and Will Smith.  Internally the Dodgers have J.T. Chargois, Caleb Ferguson, and Jordan Sheffield who could potentially come up and give the pen a much-needed boost.  Pedro Baez and Dylan Floro have been dependable but outside of them, the other middle relievers have been hit or miss.