The Atlanta Braves' weekend series loss to Boston highlighted just how awry this season has gone. After a home series against the division-leading Philadelphia Phillies, the Braves had a chance to take a breath and reset against a middling Red Sox team. This wasn't the case, and the Braves are now sitting in contention for the basement of the National League. While they have no hopes of catching the dismal Rockies, they have been among the league's worst for the last week of the season.
Combined with the 0-7 start, this is more than enough reason to believe it is desperation time. One would think this meant looking for as many in-house answers as possible. This would include former star closer Craig Kimbrel, who has done everything asked of him at the minor league level. Atlanta's continual refusal to call the veteran up to the next level remains head-scratching.
Braves' Dismal Weekend Highlights the Need for Craig Kimbrel's Promotion
Why this hasn't already happened is anyone's guess. It isn't as if the Atlanta bullpen is brimming with proven talent. The team opting to continue to hold Kimbrel down when their season is in freefall speaks to where this organization is. There is a lack of cohesive communication and a plan that is consistently costing the Braves winnable games.
Accepting mediocrity after last year's injury-plagued season forced the Braves to do so appears to be the new norm. This team understood all the potential roster holes in the 2025 offseason and instead chose to pretend two returning players would answer a myriad of concerns.
The Braves are now paying the price for this and refuse to do the bare minimum of giving a proven veteran a chance to make the team better. Kimbrel isn't the dominating player he was in his rookie year with Atlanta long ago. However, there is still plenty of reason to think the veteran can improve an increasingly shaky Atlanta pen.
Considering the incredibly low standards, the team now appears to have it is awful decision-making not to already have given Kimbrel a chance. This weekend highlighted this fact and made it clear that the veteran's promotion must happen as quickly as possible.