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These 5 teams need to get Craig Kimbrel on the phone right now

By Joshua Sadlock

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 26: Craig Kimbrel #46 of the Boston Red Sox prepares to deliver the pitch during the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game Three of the 2018 World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 26: Craig Kimbrel #46 of the Boston Red Sox prepares to deliver the pitch during the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game Three of the 2018 World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 27: Closing pitcher Craig Kimbrel #46 of the Boston Red Sox pitches in the ninth inning in Game Four of the 2018 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on October 27, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 27: Closing pitcher Craig Kimbrel #46 of the Boston Red Sox pitches in the ninth inning in Game Four of the 2018 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on October 27, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

3. San Diego Padres

A team doesn’t sign Manny Machado to a $300-million contract and then seriously contemplate making another big offer to Bryce Harper in the same offseason unless they are dead serious about contending for a title. The San Diego Padres have fully announced their intentions by signing Machado and Eric Hosmer to nine-figure deals in back-to-back winters, and they shouldn’t stop there. Unlike the ill-fated decision to go for it in 2015, the Padres are for real this time.

The Padres have invested a ton in their lineup and have a good mix of young prospects and established All-Stars, but their pitching staff is still coming together. San Diego does have a high-upside, young rotation, but their bullpen is led by Kirby Yates, Adam Warren and Craig Stammen — not exactly names that inspire extreme confidence in the late innings. Addressing the potential weakness of their pitching staff is a definite possibility for the Padres with Craig Kimbrel and Dallas Keuchel still on the market.

Looking at the two All-Star free agents, both make sense for San Diego on multiple levels. Keuchel would provide stability for one of the youngest rotations in baseball. He has been a workhorse and would allow the Padres to massage innings totals of their young studs. Kimbrel also helps the young staff by allowing manager Andy Green to shorten games with confidence. The closer, rather than the starter, is more a finishing touch on a championship roster, and the Padres might not be quite there yet.

Either Kimbrel or Keuchel makes sense for the Padres, and the longer they linger on the market, the more likely the team will pull the trigger on a deal. For now, A.J. Preller can keep his finger on the pulse of the market and evaluate his rotation and bullpen.

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