The Milwaukee Brewers will need to find some potential help for the bullpen in 2025. It was announced recently that pitcher JB Bukauskas will miss the season because of a lat injury and will need to undergo surgery on it.
He was injured during a throwing session last week. Bukauskas hasn’t seen much action on the mound for the Milwaukee Brewers because of various injuries. He is only 28 years old and JB Bukauskas hopes that he can make a return for the 2026 MLB season.
Sports Illustrated Thinks That the Milwaukee Brewers Should Give Craig Kimbrel a Call
With Bukauskas done for the 2025 season, the Milwaukee Brewers will need to find some additional help in the bullpen. One potential name that Sports Illustrated writer Patrick McAvoy mentioned that the Brewers should sign is Craig Kimbrel.
He has been in the MLB since the 2010 season. Kimbrel is 36 years old. He pitched for the Baltimore Orioles out of the bullpen last season. McAvoy said:
“Bukauskas could’ve been a guy to give the Brewers some bullpen depth but now the club will be without him. It’s unclear if he was going to make the big league roster, but he now will be out for a while. Because of this, the club should consider handing out a minor league deal to someone with an invite to Spring Training like they recently did with Mark Canha and Manuel Margot.
One guy who should get a call from the Brewers is nine-time All-Star Craig Kimbrel. He had a rough 2024 season with a 5.33 ERA in 57 appearances with the Baltimore Orioles. While this is the case, there really aren’t any bad minor-league deals. If he’s still out there, that’s likely all it would take to bring him to town. Kimbrel is surprisingly still available after the rough year.”
There also could be a reason why Craig Kimbrel is still a free agent. He is not the same pitcher that he once was. This could be why he still hasn’t been signed.
Signing Kimbrel couldn’t hurt the Milwaukee Brewers as they look for a JB Bukauskas replacement. It would be a shock if he wasn’t signed to an MLB roster before the start of the 2025 season also.
