At the moment, the really unfortunate thing about the Craig Kimbrel trade is that it was still the right move.
Nick Madrigal and Codi Heuer will produce plenty for the Cubs, but it seems unlikely that either winds up as the crucial, missing piece to a championship squad. Some regression from Kimbrel’s ridiculous 0.49 ERA with the Cubs was inevitable, but there wasn’t much indicating that he might hit the ground this hard.
There’s little doubt that Kimbrel’s success earlier this season was legit. But it’s not just his results that have changed.