One of the most infuriating pieces of an ugly Atlanta Braves season was the handling of franchise legend Craig Kimbrel. In what had been a miserable season, bringing the beloved closer back to where a legendary career started was a fun story. One that started with a scoreless inning on the road in San Francisco. There is no denying Kimbrel looked rough and benefited from a bit of luck in the outing.
However, it isn't as if the Atlanta pen was brimming with talent, and the most important factor was that the veteran got the job done. This wasn't how the Braves viewed it, jettisoning the legendary pitcher off the roster without a chance to say goodbye in front of the home crowd. It was the ultimate disrespect for a front office that hasn't been able to find any better options in the months since.
It seems fitting that Kimbrel joined the Houston Astros and pitched a scoreless inning, looking sharp in his debut on Sunday afternoon. Joining a postseason team, it seems the veteran is good enough to contribute to a contender.
All the while, the Braves are shuffling through other teams' rejected options in hopes of striking gold.
Braves Disrespect of Craig Kimbrel Continues to Age Poorly
Atlanta has recently put Connor Seabold and Dane Dunning in the pen, but didn't have room for the franchise legend. It is more than fair to call out Atlanta's front office and ownership groups for this poor decision and for having so little respect for franchise history. If the Braves weren't going to handle Kimbrel's exit correctly, there was never a reason to sign him in the first place.
Bringing in your all-time saves leader only to make him toil in the minors to make one road appearance speaks to sorry management. Even if Kimbrel isn't going to contribute at a high level, give him the respect of a well-covered exit and a chance to appear in front of a home crowd. The options the Braves have brought in further expose this fact.
For Kimbrel, things have worked out for the better, joining a postseason contender and parting ways with the dumpster fire the Braves roster has become. Now, the Astros have reason to hope they've found a surprise contributor after the scoreless debut from the experienced closer.
It is an interesting story for Braves fans to keep an eye on as they wait for a tumultuous season to finally end.