NEW YORK — The New York Mets signed right-handed reliever Craig Kimbrel to a minor league contract Thursday, and it was sweetened by an invitation to spring training with their big league club, giving the nine-time MLB All-Star an opportunity to potentially pitch for his 10th different franchise in the majors.
Kimbrel, who will turn 38 in May, was 0-1 with a 2.25 ERA while pitching in 14 MLB games last season — one for the Atlanta Braves and the rest with the Houston Astros. He also spent time in between those stops with the Texas Rangers organization, appearing in 24 games for their Triple-A affiliate before being released without a call up to the majors.
Kimbrel, who is 56-48 over 16 MLB seasons, ranks fourth among relievers with 1,282 career strikeouts, and he is fifth in career saves with 440. He spent his first five seasons with the Braves, when he was voted the National League rookie of the year in 2010 and an MLB All-Star from 2011-14, before being traded to the San Diego Padres just ahead of the 2015 season.
The Padres traded him the following April to the Boston Red Sox, where he spent the next three seasons before becoming a free agent and didn’t land a deal until signing with the Chicago Cubs in June 2019.
He was traded to the Chicago White Sox in July 2021 and finished out that season with them before spending time with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2022), Philadelphia Phillies (2023) and Baltimore Orioles (2024). After his first stint in Atlanta, his All-Star nods came from 2016-18, in 2021 and in 2023.
The Mets also signed Austin Barnes to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training. The 36-year-old catcher hit .214 over 13 games with the Dodgers last season, then spent most of the rest of the season in the San Francisco Giants’ minor league system.
Meanwhile, the Washington Nationals claimed left-hander Richard Lovelady off waivers from the Mets and designated utility player Mickey Gasper for assignment. Lovelady is 5-13 with three saves and a 5.35 ERA over parts of six MLB seasons.
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