Craig Kimbrel
Craig Kimbrel awaits his next stop with the Boston Red Sox likely passing due to budget constraints. Pictured: Closing pitcher Craig Kimbrel #46 of the Boston Red Sox pitches in the ninth inning in Game Four of the 2018 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on October 27, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. Getty Images/Sean M. Haffey

Craig Kimbrel still needs a job, and plenty of teams around baseball could use him. More than half the league has a bullpen era north of 4.00 as the first month of the 2019 MLB season nears its end.

The Atlanta Braves stand out among the possible suitors for the free agent. They were linked to Kimbrel in the offseason, and the state of their bullpen has only gotten worse.

Amid the news that closer Arodys Vizcaino will miss the rest of the season with shoulder surgery, Atlanta’s bullpen ranks 23rd in the majors with a 5.17 ERA. A few of the team’s key relievers are dealing with injuries as the Braves compete in the league's most competitive division.

Atlanta won the NL East a season ago. They are one game above .500 through 17 games and trail the first-place Philadelphia Phillies by two games.

There's no question that Kimbrel would make the Braves better. It's just a matter of the kind of contract that he is seeking.

After reportedly asking for a six-year contract worth at least $100 million in the winter, Kimbrel might be willing to take a deal worth about half that much. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal recently put Kimbrel’s asking price in the range of the three-year, $52 million contract signed by Wade Davis in December 2017 and Zack Britton’s three-year, $39 million deal.

According to Gabriel Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Braves aren't willing to go to three years for Kimbrel. Atlanta might be interested in giving the free agent a one-year contract, though he seems intent on landing a multi-year deal.

MLB Network’s Jon Heyman seems a little bit more optimistic about a potential reunion between Kimbrel and the Braves. Kimbrel started his career in Atlanta, where he led the league in saves four times. He appears interested in playing for the Braves a second time.

Even if the Braves cave and decide that giving Kimbrel more than one year is worth it, they might not do it until later in the season. Atlanta is wary of signing Kimbrel before June's draft, considering they’d be forced to give the Boston Red Sox a compensation pick by doing so.

The Milwaukee Brewers and Washington Nationals have also been linked to Kimbrel. The Brewers also lost their closer for the season, while the Nationals’ bullpen has a historically bad ERA to start the year.

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