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Rangers land Craig Kimbrel after surprising Braves release
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- Rangers land Craig Kimbrel after surprising Braves release
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The post Rangers land Craig Kimbrel after surprising Braves release appeared first on ClutchPoints .
The Texas Rangers are struggling once again this season, just like they did last year after winning the World Series in 2023, but they got a little bit better on Tuesday. The Rangers agreed to a minor-league deal with veteran reliever Craig Kimbrel after he was shockingly let go from the Atlanta Braves earlier this month, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
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" Craig Kimbrel signing minor-league deal with Rangers, source tells @TheAthletic," Rosenthal reported on X, formerly Twitter. "Kimbrel elected free agency after the Braves designated him for assignment."
Kimbrel was designated for assignment by the Braves on Saturday after just one appearance with the team this season, but the longtime closer chose to become a free agent instead of heading down to the minors.
The 37-year old had a strong outing in his only appearance on the mound this season on Friday night, a 5-4 Atlanta loss to the San Francisco Giants in extra innings. Kimbrel pitched a shutout inning , giving up one hit and one walk in the process before getting out of the jam. He will hope to bring the same escapability to the Rangers.
The nine-time All Star is well past his prime at this point, but he still has the ability to be a key piece of a rotation. For his career, Kimbrel has racked up 440 saves and has just a 2.59 ERA, so he knows how to get the job done on the mound.
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His experience will be very valuable for a Rangers squad that is just 31-35 on the season and is currently sitting in fourth place in the AL West. Despite the struggles on the field this year, nobody has really run away with the division as Texas is just 5.5 games behind the Houston Astros in the top spot.
Kimbrel's role and impact remains to be seen, as it appears that he will start out in the Minor Leagues for the Rangers. However, if Bruce Bochy and company need an extra arm, they know that they have one of the best closers of his generation waiting in the wings.
Related: Rangers rumors: Bruce Bochy's likely replacement if he walks away after season
