The Boston Red Sox have just four spring training games remaining before they open the season against the Texas Rangers on March 27. As camp draws to a close, so do the many position battles that define it.
One of the most crowded competitions at Red Sox spring training is the battle for the closer job. Liam Hendriks, Aroldis Chapman, Justin Slaten and Garrett Whitlock have all been considered, and Boston recently gave insight into its likely choice for the job.
On March 18, Chris Cotillo of MassLive reported that former Yankees closer Chapman has become the "in-house favorite" for the closer role at the start of the season. He also specified that Slaten seems destined for a high-leverage spot.
Many Sox reporters and fans expected the closer job would go to Hendriks or Slaten due to Chapman's recently shaky command. However, he's tightened up this spring and Hendriks had a rough go of things in early Grapefruit League action. Chapman has let up two runs on three hits with 10 strikeouts and five walks in 5.1 innings of work, while Hendriks has posted six runs on six hits with four strikeouts in five innings on the mound.
Aroldis Chapman named favorite for Red Sox closer job to start the season
The Aroldis Chapman Experience. 🎢 pic.twitter.com/Zk8BNNNlQy
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 1, 2025
Cotillo did mention that Chapman is expected to close games "to start the season," which suggests Boston is willing to move him out of the ninth inning if things go south. The lefty walked 39 batters in 61.2 innings with the Pirates last year, so if his command issues resurface, Slaten or Hendriks could shift into the closer spot.
Former Red Sox closer, World Series champion Craig Kimbrel signs minor league deal with Braves
Former Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel has signed a minor league deal with the Braves, first reported by MLB insider Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Kimbrel, a 15-year MLB veteran, suited up for the Red Sox from 2016-18 and posted a 2.44 ERA with 305 strikeouts over 184.1 innings. The righty was formerly one of the most dominant closers in MLB, mostly during his five-season stint with the Braves, where he clocked a 1.43 ERA. Since he departed the Red Sox, Kimbrel's career has been rather tumultuous.
The Braves are Kimbrel's fifth team since he left Boston, and he's had rocky tenures with most of them. The Cubs signed him midway through the 2019 season and he posted just 72.2 innings there through 2021 (partially due to injuries, but the 2020 season was also shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic). In 2022, he was eventually moved out of the closer role for the Dodgers. The next year, he was named an All-Star for the Phillies but blew two straight NLCS games against the Diamondbacks. Last season, the Orioles designated him for assignment with just weeks left in the campaign.
Kimbrel will work up to joining the Braves' Triple-A team in a delayed spring training of sorts. He may join Atlanta's bullpen later in the season, where he'll get a chance to catch up to Kenley Jansen on MLB's all-time saves leaderboard.
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