The hot stove season continues to heat up, with the Boston Red Sox acquiring closer extraordinaire Craig Kimbrel from the San Diego Padres for four minor leaguers.
Red Sox acquire Craig Kimbrel from Padres
Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
The minor leaguers headed to San Diego are pitcher Logan Allen, outfielder Manuel Margot, shortstop Javier Guerra and infielder Carlos Asuaje.
Kimbrel, 27, has arguably been baseball’s best closer for the last five years, averaging 45 saves, 105 strikeouts and 23 walks in 66 innings per season from 2011-2015. Kimbrel’s 2.58 ERA with the Padres in 2015 was the worst of his career by almost half a run.
This is the second time Kimbrel has been traded in under a year. The Padres acquired him from the Atlanta Braves in April just before Opening Day, hoping to make him the final piece of a strong push for the National League West. Instead, San Diego won 74 games and finished in fourth place.
Kimbrel has two years and $25 million guaranteed left on his contract, which also includes a $13 million club option for 2018 (with a $1 million buyout) that could bring the remainder of his deal to $37 million over three years, per Cot’s Baseball Contracts.
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