Cubs sign Craig Kimbrel (3 years / $43 million)

[Eye Black]

How many closers continue to be dominant after they turn 31? Particularly those that throw hard (so not Trevor Hoffman)

Billy Wagner was the first one to come to mind.

[adambr2]

How many closers continue to be dominant after they turn 31? Particularly those that throw hard (so not Trevor Hoffman)

Billy Wagner is the first one to come to mind.

 

A lot. Pretty much all the elite ones (Rivera, Eckersley, Fingers) were at least mostly dominant well into their 30s, and Kimbrel is certainly in that company of relievers.

[adambr2]

If we want to take it down a notch from that group, a guy like Jonathan Papelbon was still dominant through his age 34 season.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

I'll tell you what's going to be annoying - constantly seeing that Lurch-like "wind-up" from Kimbrel when the Brewers play the Cubs.

[Jaylyn]

Glad it's over! Not a fan of giving relievers big contracts and it's just a hunch, I believe the Red Sox let him walk away for reasons other than money.

[Brew crew 92]

3/45 or 2.5/45

 

It should be prorated if 3/45. Whatever he agreed to get paid this year will have money shaved off for what portion of the season he missed. At least it usually gets reported that way and then someone eventually says they didn’t pay “X” amount because he wasn’t with the team all year.

 

It might actually be $40mil through 2021...all depends on how they are reporting the contract.

 

"Just to be clear: The $43 million in Craig Kimbrel's deal is fully guaranteed. The $10 million he'll receive this season is not prorated. He will get $16 million in 2020 and 2021, and the extra $1 million is guaranteed via the buyout on a fourth-year option."

 

 

That’s the exact deal I’ve been talking about here for the last month. 10 million for this year is terrible news. This deal is one we could have easily done. We lose they win. Aren’t we sick of this crap yet? 50 years for some of us isn’t long enough? Let’s just kick the can til Selig and Uecker are dead.

[trwi7]

Complaining about not giving a reliever $15 million per year for 3 years lol.

[Brew crew 92]

Glad it's over! Not a fan of giving relievers big contracts and it's just a hunch, I believe the Red Sox let him walk away for reasons other than money.

 

Time will tell.

 

My hunch is the opposite, hall of fame pitchers are really good.

[wildcat83]

I don’t see him being a dominant closer. No real logic as to why even, just my thoughts. He wasn’t great at the end of last year, now he’s jumping into a season without a true spring training. Boston didn’t seem to pursue bringing him back. I think this turns out to be a bad deal for the Cubs.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

 

That’s the exact deal I’ve been talking about here for the last month. 10 million for this year is terrible news. This deal is one we could have easily done. We lose they win. Aren’t we sick of this crap yet? 50 years for some of us isn’t long enough? Let’s just kick the can til Selig and Uecker are dead.

 

Sheesh. If you're that upset, the Cubs bandwagon has room for you. I hear they just signed your favorite closer.

 

The Milwaukee Brewers are the defending NL Central champs. They were one game from a World Series appearance. They were in 1st place in the division going into tonight's game. Losing out on a reliever that is likely going to give them 35 innings this season is far from a death sentence.

[Brew crew 92]

I don’t see him being a dominant closer. No real logic as to why even, just my thoughts. He wasn’t great at the end of last year, now he’s jumping into a season without a true spring training. Boston didn’t seem to pursue bringing him back. I think this turns out to be a bad deal for the Cubs.

 

Boston couldn’t bring him back, 45 million contact would have cost them extra 23 million, because of the tax, the reports are saying his workouts in front of scouts and executives were “electric “

[pacopete4]

Always amused with posts that imply the Brewers owe a fan something for being a fan for a certain length of time. So dramatic.

[MrTPlush]

I don’t see him being a dominant closer. No real logic as to why even, just my thoughts. He wasn’t great at the end of last year, now he’s jumping into a season without a true spring training. Boston didn’t seem to pursue bringing him back. I think this turns out to be a bad deal for the Cubs.

 

Boston couldn’t bring him back, 45 million contact would have cost them extra 23 million, because of the tax, the reports are saying his workouts in front of scouts and executives were “electric “

 

We will see how he pitches, maybe he has been or maybe it is a lot of hot air. People talked up Nelson countless times the last month. That didn’t really translate today.

[Brew crew 92]

 

That’s the exact deal I’ve been talking about here for the last month. 10 million for this year is terrible news. This deal is one we could have easily done. We lose they win. Aren’t we sick of this crap yet? 50 years for some of us isn’t long enough? Let’s just kick the can til Selig and Uecker are dead.

 

Sheesh. If you're that upset, the Cubs bandwagon has room for you. I hear they just signed your favorite closer.

 

The Milwaukee Brewers are the defending NL Central champs. They were one game from a World Series appearance. They were in 1st place in the division going into tonight's game. Losing out on a reliever that is likely going to give them 35 innings this season is far from a death sentence.

 

It’s not a death sentence. David vs Goliath part 3. David is 2 for 2. Third gonna be the toughest, hoping against hope Stearns can spend in July to improve our weaknesses. 2 bats and a pen arm.

[Brew crew 92]

Always amused with posts that imply the Brewers owe a fan something for being a fan for a certain length of time. So dramatic.

 

We’ll see if you still feel that way if the crew hasn’t won the championship and it’s the year 2046.

[Jaylyn]

Would signing Kimbrel have put the Brewers over the top? I just don't think so. I also don't believe he will be the

linchpin for a title for the Cubs either.

[Brew crew 92]

Would signing Kimbrel have put the Brewers over the top? I just don't think so. I also don't believe he will be the

linchpin for a title for the Cubs either.

 

It would have given us the 2 best pen arms in the world on the same team, so yeah I think it would of put us over the top for the next 3 years.

[danzig6767]

Complaining about not giving a reliever $15 million per year for 3 years lol.

Plus, he's mainly just a one inning guy with no flexibility beyond pitching ninth innings.

 

If i was running a team with a huge revenue stream, then maybe i could justify spending 15 million per on a one inning reliever, but not a team lacking large market revenues.

[homer]

How many closers continue to be dominant after they turn 31? Particularly those that throw hard (so not Trevor Hoffman)

Billy Wagner is the first one to come to mind.

 

A lot. Pretty much all the elite ones (Rivera, Eckersley, Fingers) were at least mostly dominant well into their 30s, and Kimbrel is certainly in that company of relievers.

 

That's three guys over the span of 30 years. I'm not saying he will tail off but I'd put the odds that he regresses over the life of the contract as even as the odds he is still elite in years two and three.this year though it's a pretty good risk to take.

[Jaylyn]

Would signing Kimbrel have put the Brewers over the top? I just don't think so. I also don't believe he will be the

linchpin for a title for the Cubs either.

 

It would have given us the 2 best pen arms in the world on the same team, so yeah I think it would of put us over the top for the next 3 years.

While I admire your optimism, and yes a Kimbrel/Hader bullpen would have been formidable, if based on previous performance of both of them. However, the pragmatist in me says this team has too many holes. Braun is at the end of his career, Cain appears to slowing down, and Shaw and Aquilar have dropped off the proverbial cliff. Davies and Woodruff have performed well, but the rest of the starters are Jekyll and Hyde. Just too many maybe's and what if's for me to think that signing Kimbrel was the final piece for a World Series title.

[Brew crew 92]

Would signing Kimbrel have put the Brewers over the top? I just don't think so. I also don't believe he will be the

linchpin for a title for the Cubs either.

 

It would have given us the 2 best pen arms in the world on the same team, so yeah I think it would of put us over the top for the next 3 years.

While I admire your optimism, and yes a Kimbrel/Hader bullpen would have been formidable, if based on previous performance of both of them. However, the pragmatist in me says this team has too many holes. Braun is at the end of his career, Cain appears to slowing down, and Shaw and Aquilar have dropped off the proverbial cliff. Davies and Woodruff have performed well, but the rest of the starters are Jekyll and Hyde. Just too many maybe's and what if's for me to think that signing Kimbrel was the final piece for a World Series title.

 

Not just this year but 2020 2021 as well, perfect window fit, next year’s back end:

 

Kimbrel Hader Knebel Wahl/Jeffress.

 

This year’s weaknesses can be fixed offensively, but Kimbrel was the pitcher that would have moved us closer to beating LA. Now we have to get past the Cubbies too.

[Eye Black]

With adding in Kimbrel’s $10 million for 2019, the Cubs are now paying pitchers on their major league roster a total of just over $140 million this season. By comparison the Brewers have just over $41 million invested in their entire pitching staff this season. The amount each team is spending on position players is actually pretty comparable, but the Cubs have $99 million more than the Brewers being spent on pitchers.

[Brew crew 92]

Complaining about not giving a reliever $15 million per year for 3 years lol.

Plus, he's mainly just a one inning guy with no flexibility beyond pitching ninth innings.

 

If i was running a team with a huge revenue stream, then maybe i could justify spending 15 million per on a one inning reliever, but not a team lacking large market revenues.

 

As brewers fans I can’t blame anyone for trying to rationalize this, it’s human nature. Some of us have been saying how unfair the economic’s of baseball are to a team such as the crew, but you know what, it’s a crutch, a reason or a way for an owner to make a certain profit every year with impunity, like our owner is.

 

I remember our owner when we rebuilt In 2015 2016 2017 and we had nothing payrolls, maybe it was before the rebuild, saying we could bank $ for use in a competitive year. So instead, new concessions, new ST facilities, buy the Carolina team > all making the franchise worth more.

 

Why not put your money where your mouth is mr owner. Buy the Carolina team after a one year, temporary 160 mil payroll so we have an opportunity, A REAL OPPORTUNITY TO COMPETE WITH THE 200++ PAYROLLS.

[Brew crew 92]

With adding in Kimbrel’s $10 million for 2019, the Cubs are now paying pitchers on their major league roster a total of just over $140 million this season. By comparison the Brewers have just over $41 million invested in their entire pitching staff this season. The amount each team is spending on position players is actually pretty comparable, but the Cubs have $99 million more than the Brewers being spent on pitchers.

 

10 mil less from them.

10 mil more from us.

 

130 mil to 51 mil would have been better.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Complaining about not giving a reliever $15 million per year for 3 years lol.

Plus, he's mainly just a one inning guy with no flexibility beyond pitching ninth innings.

 

If i was running a team with a huge revenue stream, then maybe i could justify spending 15 million per on a one inning reliever, but not a team lacking large market revenues.

 

As brewers fans I can’t blame anyone for trying to rationalize this, it’s human nature. Some of us have been saying how unfair the economic’s of baseball are to a team such as the crew, but you know what, it’s a crutch, a reason or a way for an owner to make a certain profit every year with impunity, like our owner is.

 

I remember our owner when we rebuilt In 2015 2016 2017 and we had nothing payrolls, maybe it was before the rebuild, saying we could bank $ for use in a competitive year. So instead, new concessions, new ST facilities, buy the Carolina team > all making the franchise worth more.

 

Why not put your money where your mouth is mr owner. Buy the Carolina team after a one year, temporary 160 mil payroll so we have an opportunity, A REAL OPPORTUNITY TO COMPETE WITH THE 200++ PAYROLLS.

 

You do realize you are talking about a team that won 96 games last year, and is on a similar pace again, right? I mean, I would get it if the Brewers were operated like the they were in the Selig-Prieb years, but they just aren't. We have an owner who took a great team and went out and spent substantially in free agency this offseason.

 

Perhaps, and I'm just speculating here, the Brewers didn't see Craig Kimbrel as the sound investment you do. A lot of other teams didn't sign him either. But please, PLEASE, stop beating this horse. The thing is a rotting corpse. I know people are going to say "just don't read it then." Well, that's impossible, because you bring these same ideas to multiple posts constantly. Enough already. Kimbrel is a Cub. Move on.