Nine-time All-Star Craig Kimbrel will try to pitch in a 17th Major League season after agreeing to terms with the New York Mets on Saturday.
While the National League team has not announced the agreement, the New York Post, New York Times and MLB.com reported on Kimbrel’s return to baseball.
Kimbrel will sign a minor-league contract that includes an invitation to spring training with the Mets in Port St. Lucie, Florida, where he’ll have the opportunity to make the Major League roster.
Last season, Kimbrel pitched in a career-low 14 games – one inning with the Atlanta Braves and 11 innings with the Houston Astros. He had a 2.25 earned-run average, yielded 10 hits and seven walks and struck out 17. Kimbrel also pitched in 42 minor-league games in 2025.
The former Lee-Huntsville and Wallace State-Hanceville alumnus spent the first five seasons of his big-league career with Atlanta, and he holds the franchise record for career saves with 186. The National League Rookie of the Year, The Sporting New National League Pitcher of the Year twice and an NL All-Star four times during his stint with the Braves, Kimbrel went on to earn five more All-Star selections and add 254 more saves to his total after leaving Atlanta.
Kimbrel pitched one season with the San Diego Padres, three seasons with the Boston Red Sox and was in his third season with the Chicago Cubs when he was traded to the Chicago White Sox on July 30, 2021. Since then, he has pitched for the White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies and Baltimore returning to Atlanta for one game and adding the Astros to his lineup card in 2025.
In 851 MLB relief appearances, Kimbrel has a 56-48 record with a 2.58 ERA and 440 saves. In 821.2 innings, he has struck out 1,282 and yielded 492 hits and 346 walks.
Kimbrel ranks fifth on MLB’s saves list, and he’s among the three pitchers who have reached 1,200 MLB strikeouts without starting a game.