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Craig Kimbrel 2022 Player Outlook: Potential Top-5 Closer With Trade To Dodgers
3 years agoLos Angeles Dodgers pitcher Craig Kimbrel converted 24-of-29 save opportunities while posting a 2.26 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 100 strikeouts over 59 2/3 innings for the Cubs/White Sox in 2021. Most of his production came with the Cubs during the first half of the season. An impending free agent last year, the 33-year-old was traded from the Cubs to the White Sox before last year's MLB trade deadline. Kimbrel was moved again during the offseason and traded to the Dodgers straight up for AJ Pollock. Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts has already confirmed Kimbrel as the team's primary closer. He struggled as a setup man for the White Sox, racking up just one save while owning a 5.09 ERA, 2.0 HR:9, and a 30:10 K: BB over 23 frames. Despite his struggles as a setup man in Chicago, the move to Los Angeles instantly bumps Kimbrel's fantasy value. Cutter projects the veteran with a 2.98 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 30 saves, and 105 strikeouts over 65 innings in 2022. Kimbrel has seen his ADP skyrocket with the trade to Los Angeles and has the potential to be a top-5 closer for a World Series contending Dodgers team.
