Craig Kimbrel is heading to the Tampa Bay Rays on a major‑league deal, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported on May 26, 2026. The 37‑year‑old reliever elected free agency after the New York Mets designated him for assignment last week.
The move lands a veteran with a volatile recent track record onto a first‑place club that has clear bullpen needs. Kimbrel posted a 6.00 ERA in 14 appearances across 15 innings with the Mets this season after New York added him on a minor‑league deal in January 2026 and called him up in early April.
When the Mets promoted him, Kimbrel began with a sharp stretch — he did not allow an earned run over his first four appearances in New York. That early run evaporated in May, when he allowed seven earned runs over 9 2/3 innings. On the Wednesday before he was designated, Kimbrel covered 2 2/3 innings and allowed two earned runs; the team designated him for assignment on Friday and he refused a minor‑league assignment.
Those recent numbers sit alongside a résumé that helps explain Tampa Bay’s interest. Kimbrel is a nine‑time All‑Star who led the league in saves for four consecutive seasons with the Atlanta Braves from 2011 through 2014. He has had high and low points since — a 6.53 ERA in 2019 and a 5.28 ERA in 2020 with the Chicago Cubs, an All‑Star selection in 2021 and again in 2023, and a 5.33 ERA to finish the 2024 season with the Baltimore Orioles.
At the same time, Kimbrel arrived at the end of last year with something closer to the averted version of his career arc: last season he posted a 2.25 ERA in 14 appearances split between the Atlanta Braves and the Houston Astros, and finished with a 1.42 WHIP. That contrast — a recent low ERA season and a string of uneven results this year — is the clearest friction point in this signing.
Tampa Bay’s reasons for adding Kimbrel are immediate and specific. The Rays were in first place in the American League East and ranked 21st in the league in bullpen ERA. They also have multiple openings on their 40‑man roster, easing the logistics of inserting a veteran reliever. Kimbrel is expected to be available for tonight’s game against the Baltimore Orioles.
The Mets’ roster shuffle that produced Kimbrel’s availability moved younger arms into active roles; New York recalled Jonah Tong when it designated Kimbrel for assignment ( For Tampa Bay, the signing is a short‑term bet: a veteran arm with postseason pedigree and recent success, but with this season’s outings that flagged the same inconsistency that has punctuated the back half of his career.
This will be a quick, high‑stakes test. The Rays are banking that some combination of their environment and Kimbrel’s last‑season form — a 2.25 ERA, 14 appearances and a 1.42 WHIP — can be coaxed back into regular production. If he pitches tonight, the game will be the first tangible answer to whether Tampa Bay bought upside or simply added another veteran whose best days are behind him.
