Fansided

Winners and losers of Craig Kimbrel deal

By John Buhler

Sep 16, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; San Diego Padres relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel (46) prepares to throw a pitch during the ninth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 16, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; San Diego Padres relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel (46) prepares to throw a pitch during the ninth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 23, 2015; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Padres relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel (46) reacts after a run scores on a wild pitch during the ninth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 23, 2015; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Padres relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel (46) reacts after a run scores on a wild pitch during the ninth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports /

Loser: Craig Kimbrel

Going to the American League doesn’t seem ideal for a fire baller like Kimbrel. He will have to face the big bats that typically come American League lineups. Closing out games in Fenway could prove disastrous should he struggle with his fastball location – something that had happened both in San Diego and Atlanta before.

In Atlanta, Kimbrel pitched in a ballpark that played fairly to both pitchers and hitters. The Huntsville, Alabama native also probably got up for pitching for his “hometown team” at Turner Field. Leaving one of the most pitcher-friendly ball parks in Petco Park for the odd angles and short porches in Fenway may not stand as his best fit for his pitching style.

Though manager John Farrell is a former pitching coach, being that this is the American League, he may opt to pitch Craig Kimbrel more than one inning at a time. Kimbrel is a pitcher that feeds off momentum and going one-plus innings never really seemed to go over well while he was with the Braves. Surely Kimbrel can anchor a bullpen, but was Boston really the best destination for him?

Loser: American League East

Should Kimbrel return to form in 2016, he could become the first player ever to win both the Trevor Hoffman and the Mariano Rivera Awards as each league’s best closer. It’s not as impressive as winning a Cy Young in both leagues, but Kimbrel has the stuff do it.

Now that he is pitching in the American League East, this is bad news for the Baltimore Orioles, the New York Yankees, the Tampa Bay Rays, and the Toronto Blue Jays, as these are the four teams that will likely see plenty of Kimbrel in 2016 and beyond.

If any of these teams want to know what it’s like possibly seeing the flamethrower 19 games a year, just ask the Miami Marlins, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, and the Washington Nationals. They all would likely tell their AL East counterparts, “good luck with that.”

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