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Craig Kimbrel #46 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches against the Texas Rangers during the ninth inning at Globe Life Field on July 20, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
The New York Mets are heading into the 2026 MLB season with World Series goals in mind. After an aggressive offseason, the roster is in place that makes them a top-tier contender to begin the year.
During the offseason, the Mets made quite a few moves. One of the sleeper moves they made was to sign longtime MLB closer Craig Kimbrel.
At one point in his career, Kimbrel was arguably the best closer in baseball. Now at 37 years old, he has fallen off quite a bit. However, New York chose to take a flier on him.
With Opening Day right around the corner, the Mets have made a final decision about Kimbrel’s roster status.
According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, New York has informed Kimbrel that he will not make the roster to begin the year.
“Craig Kimbrel has been told he won’t be on the roster to start the season,” Puma wrote on X.
Taking a Look at Craig Kimbrel’s Illustrious Career
Throughout his 16-year MLB career, Kimbrel has appeared in 851 total games. He has compiled a 56-48 record to go along with a 2.58 ERA, a 1.02 WHIP, a 3.7 K/BB ratio, 821.2 innings pitched, 440 saves, 28 holds, and 59 blown saves.
Few closers are able to reach that kind of production. Kimbrel has had a career that many relievers dream about.
Heading into the final stage of his MLB career, Kimbrel will hope to get a chance to play at the big league level in 2026. He may not make the Mets’ roster to begin the season, but he could be a name to watch as the year moves forward.
What Did the Mets Do During the MLB Offseason?
New York went all-in on trying to win now during the offseason.
The headliner moves for the Mets were the trade to acquire star ace pitcher Freddy Peralta and signing free agent infielder Bo Bichette. They also pulled off a trade with the Chicago White Sox to acquire outfielder Luis Robert Jr.
Devin Williams and Marcus Semien were also added to the roster. Pete Alonso, on the other hand, chose to leave New York to sign with the Baltimore Orioles.
It will be interesting to see if Kimbrel can work his way up to the Major League level. For now, he won’t have a chance to play for the big league Mets.
Evan Massey Evan Massey is a sports reporter and analyst located in Indianapolis, Indiana who covers the NFL, NBA, MLB, WNBA, and college sports. He has been featured on many publications, including Newsweek, Athlon Sports, ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, Forbes, Bleacher Report, Sporting News, and many others. In his free time, Evan enjoys spending time with his wife and son. More about Evan Massey
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