PHOENIX — Last October, Craig Kimbrel was left off of the Los Angeles Dodgers NLDS roster, with his brief tenure with the team coming to an unceremonious end after the San Diego Padres upset them in four games.
But as the Philadelphia Phillies find themselves two wins away from winning their second consecutive NL pennant, the struggles that Kimbrel had during his 2022 campaign in Los Angeles have made him that much more thankful for being at the forefront of a World Series-caliber bullpen in 2023.
“Oh, it definitely makes me appreciate this,” Kimbrel acknowledged Wednesday afternoon at Chase Field. “That was a tough pill to swallow last year. Having my ups and downs, at times throwing the ball well, and at times looking like I shouldn’t even be out there or have a jersey on.
“So it definitely — it stunk. I pitch to be in these moments, to help teams finish games off and finish off meaningful games. And to not get that opportunity last year definitely stung. To be sitting here talking to y’all at this moment this year, it feels pretty good to be here.”
Even after he was left off of the Dodgers’ NLDS roster, the Phillies were still intrigued enough by one of the better closers in MLB history to give him $10 million to pitch for them in his age-35 season. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski — who previously had Kimbrel with the Boston Red Sox — bet on a bounce-back season, and he won said bet.
Kimbrel’s regular season numbers — 3.26 ERA, 3.81 FIP, 23-for-28 on save attempts — perhaps don’t jump off the page like they did at the height of his powers. But relief pitchers are probably the worst players to evaluate by looking at the back of their baseball card.
The most important thing to know about Kimbrel’s 2023 season — which included a ninth All-Star Game appearance — is that he helped to tide the Phillies over while José Alvarado spent two stints on the injured list, and Seranthony DomÃnguez struggled through a sub-par regular season. The 71 games and 69 appearances that Kimbrel made in 2023 were the most since he won the NL Rookie of the Year all the way back in 2011 with the Atlanta Braves.
Additionally, the veteran presence that he’s added to the bullpen has been crucial for a Phillies team that feels a decade removed from the all-time-bad arm barns that plagued them as recently as 2020 and 2021.
“I mean, he’s really had a really good year for us. Probably better than expected, to tell you the truth you,” manager Rob Thomson admitted. “But more than that, what he’s done in talking with the younger relievers down in the bullpen about handling situations and slowing the game down and breaking the game down into little segments where they can work through situations and tough situations.
“He’s been great on, off the field, in the bullpen. He’s been a great addition.”
Kimbrel, of course, wasn’t always a fan-favorite at Citizens Bank Park. He spent the first five seasons of his career with the division-rival Braves. Prior to 2023, the most memorable moment he had pitching in Philadelphia came in September of 2014, when a group of fans sitting behind home plate mocked his now-iconic mannerisms.
He’s obviously gotten to experience a different side of life at Citizens Bank Park in 2023 as a Phillie. But even before he was trotting to the mound with the lights flickering as “Welcome To The Jungle” played, Kimbrel says he enjoyed coming to Philadelphia.
“The difference is getting cheered for or yelled at,” Kimbrel joked. “Philly has always been a place — like you talked about, it’s been a long time pitching there, and it’s been a place I’ve always enjoyed going into just because of the atmosphere, the fans. You never know what you are going to get. It’s the fun part about this game.
“But, yeah, it definitely feels a lot better this year. Kind of having them behind me cheering me on instead of mocking me or making fun of me.”
Kimbrel has gotten the bulk of the ninth-inning work in 2023, but he has had to adjust to how modern bullpens are managed. Sometimes Thomson has felt that the “pocket” of batters coming up in the eighth inning makes more sense for Kimbrel than those in the ninth. Heck, Kimbrel was called upon with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning in Game 4 of the NLDS against the Braves, ultimately finishing off the frame and coming back out to face the first two batters of the eighth inning in what ended up being a series-clinching win for the Phillies.
Wednesday, Kimbrel admitted that it would be “so cool” to close out a World Series victory for the Phillies, before adding that he would be happy to be part of a championship-clinching win in any form. A willingness to evolve will almost certainly help Kimbrel to prolong his career as long as possible.
Even if Kimbrel does record the last out of the World Series, should the Phillies get there, he won’t be remembered first and foremost for his time in red pinstripes. Sure, he recorded his 400th save with the Phillies, but he won NL Rookie of the Year with the Braves, a team he represented in the All-Star Game four times. He made three All-Star Game appearances as a member of the Red Sox, and was part of a historic team that won the 2018 World Series.
Philadelphia may just be another stop on the list for Kimbrel, who has also pitched for the Dodgers, Padres, Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox. Who knows if the Phillies will be interested in re-signing Kimbrel this offseason, when he’ll be entering his age-36 season following an incredible workload in 2023.
Such is life for relievers.
“I was reminded at a young age as a reliever, you know, don’t get too comfortable,” Kimbrel said. “Part of your job is moving around, especially if at times you sign with a team that expectations are high and they don’t get there. Well, sometimes that means you’re on the move. That’s just part of the game.”
If Kimbrel is able to help the Phillies win a World Series, he’ll be remembered fondly — and perhaps mocked a little bit less — for the rest of his career when he visits Citizens Bank Park. It’s only been one season in Philadelphia, but it’s been a fruitful one for a closer who may be destined for Cooperstown.
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