Dave Dombrowski took a lot of heat for failing to construct a formidable bullpen, which played a hand in his departure from the Boston Red Sox. Perhaps we’re not giving him enough credit for the move he resisted making – bringing back Craig Kimbrel.
Kimbrel has been arguably the best closer in baseball over the last decade. While his tenure in Boston ended with a shaky postseason, the right-hander was an elite reliever during his three years with the Red Sox. They let him go anyway.
A contract that would have set a record for a relief pitcher was the expectation that Kimbrel carried into free agency.