The Houston Astros, like every other team across the majors, are looking for reinforcements to come in and help them during their ongoing playoff push. That is especially true when it comes to their bullpen, as they are expected to be without All-Star closer Josh Hader for at least the remainder of the regular season.
Replacing Hader is going to be very nearly impossible, but Houston has to find a way to piece together their bullpen until he can potentially return in the postseason. On Thursday night, that led the Astros to make a big move involving a former nine-time All-Star closer who has struggled to find a home in the majors this season.
Astros Add Craig Kimbrel to Their Bullpen
Kimbrel burst onto the scene with the Atlanta Braves in 2010, and in 2011, he earned the team’s closer job. Over the next four seasons, Kimbrel established himself as arguably the top closer in the league, as he led the National League in saves all four years, while also leading the entire league in saves in 2013 and 2014.
After spending the 2015 season with the San Diego Padres, Kimbrel was traded to the Boston Red Sox, where he spent three seasons, helping them win a World Series in 2018. Since then, Kimbrel has bounced around the league, spending time with the Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, and Baltimore Orioles.
Earlier in 2025, Kimbrel briefly returned to the Braves, but he only appeared in one game before the team released him. Kimbrel signed a minor-league deal with the Texas Rangers shortly after that, but he never found his way to the majors with them. Now, he’s going to get a shot to help out at the back of Houston’s bullpen after signing with them in the wake of Hader’s injury.
Veteran reliever Craig Kimbrel is signing with the Houston Astros, a source tells ESPN,” Jeff Passan reported. “He’ll be joining their big league team.”
Astros Hoping Craig Kimbrel Can Help Out Bullpen in Josh Hader’s Absence
GettyThe Astros are signing Craig Kimbrel in free agency in an effort to shore up their bullpen
Kimbrel is a nine-time All-Star, but it’s been a while since he’s been an effective option in the majors. He was an All-Star as recently as 2023 with the Philadelphia Phillies, but he was awful in 2024 with the Orioles, posting a 5.33 ERA in 52.1 innings of work. With Hader out, the Astros are going to need Kimbrel to be at his very best moving forward.
When his stuff is on, Kimbrel is still lethal, but at 37 years old, it remains to be seen how much he has left in the tank. There’s no doubt this is a bit of a flier for Houston, but Kimbrel’s wealth of experience late in games could be precisely what this team needs. For now, the Astros will be focused on taking down Kimbrel’s old team in the Orioles on Thursday night before they begin figuring out how they will utilize him moving forward.
Astros Bolster Bullpen by Signing 9-Time All-Star