Closing on a Closer

IT ACTUALLY HAPPENED!!!!


After an off-season's worth of tight books and empty pockets, the Cubs finally opened up the checkbooks.  All winter, we Chicagoans were relentlessly reminded that the franchise did not have the bucks to enter into the Bryce Harper sweepstakes that they had been rumored to enter for years.  Heck - they weren't just forced to watch the major free agent market machinations from the sidelines either; the clubs made only bargain-basement deals with spare parts like Daniel Descalso, Xavier Cedeno, and Brad Brach, i.e.  Despite having major needs, especially in the bullpen, the Cubs appeared to be too poor to do anything about their flaws, despite playing in a major market with a pending mega TV contract.  All in all, it was a supremely frustrating few months.

Thankfully, it took a few months, but the financials have changed for the better.  Money saved from Ben Zobrist's placement on the restricted list (hopefully things get better for him soon) has allowed Theo Epstein and crew to move some money around and bolster a relief corps that has been amongst the most frustrating in baseball.  It was a foreseeable weakness and injuries to Brandon Morrow (big surprise), Pedro Strop, Mike Montgomery and others only made it more glaring. Also, I feel like this budgetary crisis is largely manufactured, but that's a rant for a different time.

Enter, Craig Kimbrel

The 7x All-Star and (maybe?) future Hall of Famer remained unsigned all winter due to many of the major contending clubs suddenly deciding to clutch their purses; it wasn't just the Cubs, after all.  Draft pick compensation is what kept many bidders from considering his hefty price tag, as today's game continues to place immense value on cost-controllable talent.  Give credit to Craig for sticking to his guns because he knew what his services were truly worth and he held out for his desired lucrative, multi-year deal.  The cagey veteran and his equally effective agent, Scott Boras, knew that if Kimbrel waited until after the June amateur draft, clubs would be lining up to throw money at the hurler and his 333 career saves.

With draft pick entanglement no longer a worry after the nation's high school and collegiate talent were spoken for, a market did, in fact, develop quickly for the greatest closer of his era.  Also, suddenly, bidders weren't so leary of offering multiple years either... hmmm.  Anyway, the Rays, Twins, and Braves were hot on his heels, but ultimately came up short.

BREAKING: #Cubs in agreement with free-agent closer Craig Kimbrel, pending physical, sources tell The Athletic.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) June 6, 2019

Just hours after the final draft picks were announced, Twitter erupted into a frenzy as Kimbrel came to an agreement with the first place Chicago Cubs, for three years and $43 million!  Considering his initial asking price included at least seven guaranteed years, that's an absolute steal.  Hopefully this troubling trend of extended free agencies and collusion-tinged negotiations is in the past, but that's a post for another day.

For the entirety of the 2019 season, we Cubs fans had been begging for our front office to bring Kimbrel and his famous crouch to the Windy City.  For a team that lost their closer, their secondary closer and led the league with 11 blown saves before the Father's Day, the addition of a Cooperstown worthy closer was an obvious fix.  Of course, after hearing so many excuses throughout the winter months, an honest pursuit felt more like a pipe dream than a possibly.  The sight of Kimbrel in Cubbie Blue was something to dream on as we screamed into the void while watching the over-worked Steve Cischek's arm get ground into a pulp.

Honestly, even with the agreement being announced by Ken Rosenthal last night, it still feels too good to be true.  Well, technically Craig still needs to pass a physical, but that's simply a formality... we aren't talking about the Orioles here.  Even with this afternoon's loss to the Rockies, I think I can safely speak for the Cubs fan base in stating that we are still on cloud 9!

I'd say that the photograph used on this 2018 Topps Holiday single perfectly matches our collective elation.

Although, despite all of the excitement, it's important to remember that the hoped bullpen savior won't be able to step onto the mound at Wrigley Field right away.  Having not seen competitive action since the World Series and missing Spring Training will require some time in the minor leagues to build up arm strength.  Craig's camps seems overly optimistic, insisting that he can be ready by the team's next homestand; but, manager Joe Maddon seems more on point by predicting a ramp up of at least three weeks.  That being said, with as long as we waited for the Cubs to make a real attempt at fixing the pen, three weeks seems like nothing.

Further tempering expectations is Craig's performance in the second half of 2018 - where his ERA ballooned to an uncharacteristically high 4.57.  For frame of reference, his combined ERA for all nine years of his career is a minuscule 1.91; obviously, that difference is quite stark.  Seeing as the 31-year old Kimbrel isn't getting any younger, this late season collapse may have scared away some other potential suitors.  I, however, have no problem with seeing if that trend continues with Craig in a Cubs uniform.

As soon as I read Rosenthal's tweet announcing the agreement, I dropped everything I was doing and took to digging through my trade boxes in search of Kimbrel cardboard.  As you can see from this post, my excavation proved to be quite fruitful with several singles from various products and brands and stages in Kimbrel's career.  Much like with the recent acquisition of Carlos Gonzalez, I found myself with no shortage of options for inclusion in my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection.  However, unlike with CarGo, I noticed a clear winner in this instance: the 2018 Topps Big League single which serves as the header to this post.

While the design of Big League is a lot more... let's say, busy... this year, the 2018 edition was beautiful in it's simplicity.  Bold colors, team logos, cream-colored borders... I am of the opinion the BL should have been the Flagship design for 2018.  The excited and bearded righty celebrating a save framed by this design only makes the card that much better.  I cannot wait to add this pasteboard to my CATRC binder!

Also factoring into the decision is the team designation.  I have nothing against the Braves or Atlanta, where Craig initially made a name for himself in baseball; but, I do have a rooting interest in the Red Sox.  In short, they have long been my favorite team in the American League, as for most of my life, the Sawx were the "lovable losers" of the junior circuit.  Furthermore, my wife's family hails from the east coast and many in her family are loyal Red Sox fans, including her beloved grandmother.  As such, Red Sox trump Braves and Padres... if I had any Padres cards of his anyway.

Having seen all of my of my Craig cards, do you think I made the right decision?  Perhaps you're a touch more fond of the horizontal cards which showcase his unique crouch?  Please feel free to weigh in on the matter in the comment section below!

At any rate, the Craig Kimbrel era has officially begun in Chicago and hopefully he can whip the Cubs bullpen back into shape.  With Pedro Strop back to full health and Brandon Morrow supposedly improving in Arizona, it's hard not to dream on the potential of the Cubs relief staff - that's a pair of elite setup men.  Toss in Cishek, Brandon Kintzler, Mike Montgomery, Carl Edwards, Jr., etc. and the bullpen at Wrigley Field suddenly has the potential to be absolutely lethal this summer and fall.

Welcome to Chicago and to my CATRC, Craig Kimbrel.