Craig Kimbrel is set to pitch for his 12th Major League Baseball team after signing with the Kansas City Royals. The move comes after two stints with other teams earlier in the 2026 season.
Once Kimbrel takes the mound for the Royals, he will tie for the fourth-most organizations pitched for in MLB history. Edwin Jackson and Rich Hill currently hold the record with 14 teams each, followed by Octavio Dotel and Roosevelt Davis, who pitched for 13.
Kimbrel, a nine-time All-Star, began his 2026 season with the New York Mets, signing a minor league deal in January. He made 14 appearances for the Mets, posting a 6.00 ERA before being designated for assignment and clearing waivers in late May. He then signed with the Tampa Bay Rays on May 26, pitching 19 games and recording a 3.06 ERA. However, he was again designated for assignment on August 2, a day before the trade deadline, and cleared waivers on August 6.
Over his career, Kimbrel has a 2.67 ERA. In the 2026 season, he has compiled a 4.78 ERA across 33 games played for the Mets and Rays.
Kimbrel was once considered one of baseball's most dominant closers, amassing 440 career saves, which ranks fifth all-time in MLB history. He achieved top-five Cy Young Award finishes in 2012 and 2013 while closing for the Atlanta Braves and had five seasons overall where he finished in the top 10 of Cy Young voting, with the last coming in 2017 with the Boston Red Sox. He won a World Series title with Boston in 2018 and reached the NLCS in 2023 with the Philadelphia Phillies.
The 38-year-old right-hander joins the 49-70 Royals, who are currently 10.5 games out of playoff contention.