Atlanta Braves fans waited weeks for the franchise to call up former closer Craig Kimbrel. With the bullpen in shambles due to the front office's refusal to spend, it was confusing why the team waited so long to make the move. Finally, the team made the decision to bring the veteran back under questionable circumstances.
Cutting productive long reliever Scott Blewett wasn't a popular decision. However, at least it finally gave fans a chance to see the Atlanta legend back in a Braves uniform for the first time in nearly a decade.
There is no way around that Kimbrel's performance was shaky, needing a caught stealing and a pickoff to escape the inning. Still, the reliever did his job in a high-leverage game and kept the score exactly where it was. The Braves saw this and rewarded the reliever by designating the veteran for assignment after spending all of one day on the roster. It is a deeply unserious move for an organization that has lost its way and continues to pile up awful decisions.
Craig Kimbrel Deserves Far Better from an Embarrassing Braves Organization
Atlanta reliever Craig Kimbrel is designated for assignment after just one game.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) June 7, 2025
None are more embarrassing or frustrating than the team's decision to willfully hold the Atlanta reliever in the minors for weeks, only to designate the veteran for assignment after one game. It was as ugly a decision as the team has made all season. Made all the more difficult to swallow by the fact that productive long reliever Scott Blewett was the roster casualty to make room for Kimbrel in the first place.
Twice, the Braves have now downgraded a discount bullpen that has become an increasing liability. One could point out that both Rafael Montero and Raisel Iglesias have cost the team far more than Blewett or Kimbrel. Fans could also point out that one bad outing from Kimbrel after weeks of waiting for the moment was to be expected. It was an emotionally charged return that still resulted in the reliever getting out of the inning without giving up the lead.
Choosing to move on after this debut speaks to a deeply unserious organization and why they find themselves in their current position. There is no longer any defense of Atlanta's coaching or decision makers who continue to willfully push all of the wrong buttons. Kimbrel's exit and choosing to do so in such brutal fashion speaks to a team that has no idea what direction they are heading.
It speaks to a team content with mediocrity and preferring to keep expensive failing pieces in favor of searching for real change. Kimbrel deserved better from an organization he elevated during his early seasons. If this was always going to be the way it played out, the team would have been far wiser never to make the signing or call-up in the first place. Blewett had more value on the team's roster than Kimbrel's replacement and had offered consistent production. No question, the Braves continue to show just how unserious of an organization they have become and why fans continue to lose any trust in coaches and the team's front office.