Aging former Chicago Cubs closer Craig Kimbrel is returning to where it all began

Former Chicago Cubs closer Craig Kimbrel is returning to where it all began. With just days until the regular season kicks off for the rest of the league on March 27, the once-dominant right-hander has inked a minor-league deal with the Atlanta Braves, the team that drafted him back in 2008. He'll look to rediscover his groove on the mound he pitched from for five seasons to start his MLB career.

Kimbrel isn't the same pitcher he was when he debuted for Atlanta in 2010. In 289 innings with the club, he racked up 10.9 fWAR during that half-decade run, including a 1.43 ERA, 1.53 FIP, 189 saves and a blazing fastball that sat in the upper-90s and could even touch triple-digits. He also posted a 50-save season in 2013. The accolades piled up for Kimbrel early in his career, including four All-Star appearances with the Braves, a Trevor Hoffman Reliever of the Year award, a Rookie of the Year win in 2011 and Cy Young votes in all of his qualifying seasons in Atlanta. At the time, he seemed to be on a Hall of Fame trajectory that he largely maintained during subsequent stints with San Diego and Boston.

His most recent season with Baltimore, however, ended on a low note with a 5.33 ERA, 4.18 FIP, and a slower 94 MPH average on his fastball leading to him being designated for assignment in September. Even if he's trending in the wrong direction, the Braves might be the right team for him. Aside from closer Raisel Iglesias, lefty Aaron Bummer and setup man Pierce Johnson, there are few locks in their bullpen. If not out of spring training, he might be positioned well to get a job at some point later in the season if he looks good.

A return to the Cubs never really seemed likely for Kimbrel for various reasons. Acquiring a reliever past his prime who looked especially rough toward the end of last season would've felt unwise with limited roster spots and resources available. Even on a minor-league deal, he would've had to compete with a bevy of optionable depth arms with higher upside. The path to playing time with the Cubs just wouldn't be clear, even before adding veterans like Ryan Pressly, Caleb Thielbar and Ryan Brasier.

Craig Kimbrel was a mixed bag for the Chicago Cubs

Kimbrel's time in Chicago still brings up mixed feelings. He was the last significant reliever signing the Cubs made in recent memory and the signs of decline from his Boston days almost immediately came back to haunt them. After signing late in 2019 on a three-year, $43 million deal, he performed disastrously in 20 2/3 innings, pitching to a 6.53 ERA, an 8.00 FIP and -1.1 fWAR. 2020 was more of a mixed bag with a 5.23 ERA and 3.97 FIP in a smaller sample of 15 1/3 innings.

However, the Cubs were able to help Kimbrel revitalize his career in 2021, where he pitched to a dominant 0.49 ERA and 1.10 FIP and earned an All-Star appearance. He was then traded to the White Sox for Nick Madrigal and Codi Heuer in one of the worst lose-lose trades in the team's history. Since then, Kimbrel hasn't enjoyed the same success, but he's still found ways to be a solid reliever, particularly in Philadelphia, where he earned his ninth and (to this point) final All-Star nod.

With 440 career saves to his name, Kimbrel currently ranks fifth all-time and second among active relievers, behind only Kenley Jansen. It's hard to imagine him getting many more chances to close out games this late in his career barring a sudden resurgence. Whatever happens this season, the former Cub has cemented his legacy as an all-time great with no end to his accomplishments. It's fitting that a return home could mark the final stop on his MLB journey.