The New York Mets are at the forefront of headlines across MLB due to their recent trades/roster transactions, but on Sunday afternoon, a former New York Mets player who pitched briefly for the organization was let go by his new MLB team.
In correlation to the New York Mets completing a trade to the Tampa Bay Rays, which sent Freddy Peralta to Tampa in exchange for three prospects, the Rays need to clear space on their roster for the newly acquired Peralta, and the roster casualty comes in the form of Craig Kimbrel.
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Tampa Bay Rays DFA Craig Kimbrel
GettyST. PETERSBURG, FL – JUNE 26: Craig Kimbrel #46 of the Tampa Bay Rays throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the ninth inning of a baseball game at Tropicana Field on June 26, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images)
Due to the fact that it’s MLB trade deadline season, there is a plethora of roster transactions happening all across the league.
Per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, Craig Kimbrel is being designated for assignment by the club.
Kimbrel, 38, has pitched in 32.2 total innings with the New York Mets and Rays this season, and holds an ERA of 4.41 with 31 SO.
He has actually been much more effective with the Rays, as he posted a 3.08 ERA over 17.2 innings. With the Mets, he carried a 6.00 ERA across 15 IP. Kimbrel has pitched in parts of 17 MLB seasons and has played for 11 teams total in those 17 seasons.
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Craig Kimbrel Now Enters DFA Limbo
GettyST. PETERSBURG, FL – JUNE 25: Craig Kimbrel #46 of the Tampa Bay Rays throws against the Kansas City Royals during the ninth inning of a baseball game at Tropicana Field on June 25, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images)
Craig Kimbrel will now enter DFA limbo, which he is certainly familiar with.
If the Rays can’t work out a trade or another team doesn’t claim him off waivers, Kimbrel will be outrighted to the minor leagues, where he will likely reject the assignment and become a free agent for any MLB team to sign.
His production with the Rays is certainly a sign that he still has some left in the tank and is also likely enough for another team to give him a shot.
Craig Kimbrel is a 9X MLB All-Star with several different clubs, and he has 440 saves in his 17-year career. His lifetime ERA is 2.65 across 850+ innings and 883 games pitched. He’s also struck out 13123 batters in his lengthy career.
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New York Mets Recent Pitcher Let Go by Current MLB Team