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2w ago

Craig Kimbrel Signs With Kansas City Royals

The one-year addition is a low-risk move to stabilize a struggling bullpen as the club evaluates other relief options.

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Jun 28, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Craig Kimbrel (46) throws a pitch against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the seventh inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
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Overview

  • Multiple outlets reported Sunday that the Royals signed Kimbrel to a Major League contract and expected to activate him for their next game on Monday.
  • Kimbrel is a nine-time All-Star with 440 career saves, placing him fifth on MLB’s all-time list, but his effectiveness has fallen in recent seasons.
  • This season Kimbrel split time between the Mets and Rays, posting a 4.81 ERA in 33 appearances with a lower strikeout rate and a higher walk rate than in his peak years.
  • Kansas City made the move to address a bullpen that has one of the highest ERAs in MLB and has lost key relievers to injury, making a veteran reclamation signing low risk.
  • The signing continues Kimbrel’s late-career pattern of short stints—this will be his 12th MLB team and third club in 2026—and gives the Royals a veteran presence while they audition younger arms.