PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- One of the first bits of commotion at Mets camp occurred Wednesday morning on a pack of pitching mounds adjacent to a parking lot. As Craig Kimbrel threw a routine bullpen session from one of them, a small crowd formed to watch.
On a Spring Training roster studded with potential Hall of Famers, including Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor, Kimbrel may be the likeliest Cooperstown candidate of all. His resume is nearly complete, with 440 career saves (more than all but four pitchers, three of whom are already in the Hall of Fame), nine All-Star appearances and one of the highest strikeout rates in Major League history. When Kimbrel does something, those around him tend to stop what they’re doing to watch.
But because Kimbrel is 37, and because injuries and bouts of ineffectiveness have derailed his career in recent years, he was available this winter. The Mets, who have plenty of money to take flyers on future Hall of Famers with a scrap of anything left in the tank, scooped him up on a Minor League contract. They’ll pay Kimbrel just $2.5 million if he makes the club.
So it came to pass that one of the greatest closers of all-time stood on a Clover Park mound this week, bent at the waist, before straightening up to fire fastballs, breaking balls and changeups toward rookie catcher Kevin Parada.
“It’s a really cool feeling,” said Parada, who was in elementary school when Kimbrel broke into the league. “You sit there and realize the man’s been in the game for a long time. He’s more than likely going to be a Hall of Famer at some point when his career is finally over.”
How far in the future that occurs will depend entirely upon Kimbrel, who hasn’t quite been the same since allowing four crucial earned runs in 2023 National League Championship Series Games 3 and 4 -- both of them losses for his Phillies. The following season, Kimbrel posted a 5.33 ERA over 57 appearances with the Orioles, who released him before the end of September. In 2025, Kimbrel bounced to the Braves and Rangers, battling nagging physical ailments along the way.
It was not until late last August that Kimbrel seemed to right himself, hooking on with the Astros and striking out 16 batters over 11 innings. Even in a small sample, that performance grabbed the attention of Mets officials, who ultimately signed him to a Minor League deal in January.
“This is someone who has an incredible amount of experience and success pitching in the back end of bullpens,” president of baseball operations David Stearns said. “It certainly looks like he still has the ability to get Major League hitters out. We value the experience. We value the wisdom. And so having someone like that in our camp -- and potentially on our Major League team -- made a lot of sense for us to give it a look and give him a chance.”
Entering Spring Training, the Mets have only four bullpen locks in Devin Williams, Luke Weaver, Brooks Raley and Luis García. That leaves as many as four spots available for the likes of Kimbrel and nearly two dozen hopefuls.
And that’s exactly what Kimbrel is -- hopeful. Three months shy of his 38th birthday, he still burns to pitch. Kimbrel has enjoyed sharing this Spring Training experience with his 3 1/2-year-old son, Joseph, who is beginning to understand his father’s profession.
“I love playing the game,” Kimbrel said. “I love competing, standing on the mound. … I take that very seriously. I want to go out there and compete and be a part of that, the high-pressure stuff. I’m getting a little excited just talking about it. So the fact that I still want to do that, there’s no reason for me to be at home watching the game.”
Over the next six weeks, Mets officials will determine whether Kimbrel still possesses the physical tools to be a bullpen weapon. He began throwing a changeup last season that has piqued the curiosity of Mets officials. At his age, with a fastball that’s down 5 mph from its upper-90s peak, Kimbrel knows he must adapt to stay in the game. He understands the value of treating his body well.
Asked how long he wants to continue this grind, Kimbrel shrugged and replied: “I guess the teams and the guys at the plate are going to let me know that.
“We’ll see,” he continued. “I’ve got to go out there and perform well, show that I can do it. If I pitch well, we’ll see how that goes.”