Could the Red Sox be forced to make a deal for Kimbrel?

It was reported last night that the Cardinals were closing in on a deal for free agent reliever Andrew Miller. With another target for the Red Sox off the board, will they be forced to make a move on Craig Kimbrel?

Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic reported last night that the St. Louis Cardinals were closing in on a deal with star reliever Andrew Miller. With another free agent target coming off the Red Sox Christmas list, will they be forced to break the bank on Craig Kimbrel?

Miller is a former Red Sox pitcher who finally found his groove in Cleveland after some rocky years in Boston. It was his time in Cleveland that garnered him the reported new agreement with St. Louis. So now that Miller seemingly isn’t an option, what will Dave Dombrowski Do?

He’s openly said that he doesn’t want to make another major money deal this offseason, especially for a reliever/closer. But will he have a choice? Kimbrel is really the only ace closer left with Miller out of the picture.

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Kimbrel needs a bit of a reality check though, the years and money he’s asking for (6-years/$100 million+). That’s just mind-boggling. Yes, he was a rock in our bullpen to close games but he also fell apart when the lights got the brightest this postseason.

So if Dombrowski could get Kimbrel to come down in his asking price, I think they could strike up a deal. Kimbrel is already familiar with the city, team, and fanbase. It would be a no-brainer for the fireballer. He wouldn’t have to move his family and start fresh with a new club. But he’s seriously gotta realize that those demands are insane.

If the Red Sox could get him to bump it down to 4-years, I could see that being a happy compromise for both. It still gives Kimbrel the comfort of stability and it gives the Red Sox some breathing room with the payroll. But it all comes down to how pressure Dombrowski and the front office feel.

With each passing day, it feels like pitchers are dropping left and right. The Red Sox kicked that trend off by re-signing righty Nathan Eovaldi during the Winter Meetings. They also lost to the Dodgers on the services of Joe Kelly. Later last night Rosenthal would pop back up and report that the A’s were close to a deal with reliever Joakim Soria. Another pitcher is gone.

So it looks as if the Red Sox may have their backs against the wall. Will Dombrowski and FSG break the bank and give Kimbrel what he wants or will they be able to talk him down? Only time will tell, but if their strategy is to wait and see how the market shakes out, they may lose.