7 potential trade destinations and returns for Craig Kimbrel

Cincinnati Reds 

The Chicago White Sox might be able to get something good for Craig Kimbrel.

The Cincinnati Reds still have enough pieces where they feel like they can contend. Last season they finished third in the NL Central with an 83-79 record.

Joey Votto, Jonathan India, and Eugenio Suarez are studs. Jesse Winker had a great season batting in 2021. He hit .305 with 24 home runs. Luis Castillo and Sonny Gray are also nice pieces in the starting rotation.

The bullpen is another story. The Reds bullpen ranked 27th in the MLB with a 4.99 ERA. They could never find a true closer either. The ninth inning was a revolving door with four different pitchers collecting 7-8 saves.

Craig Kimbrel would help bring stability to their bullpen. He found a ton of success last year in the NL Central so the familiarity of being back in the division along with not having to compete with anyone for control of save situations should set him up for a big year.

Mike Moustakas could be a name the White Sox look to get in return. The Reds have plenty of infield depth. Jonathan India has solidified himself as the Red’s second baseman. Max Schrock and Asdrubal Cabrera can both play third base making Moutakas expendable.

Moustakas makes sense for the White Sox as well. He can fill their need at second base. He has playoff experience and a World Series ring from his time in Kansas City. He is also a left-handed bat that can hit for power. In addition, he is familiar with the division which is a plus.

Moustakas had a down year in 2021 but a change of scenery could do him good. He was limited to just 62 games so now that he is fully healthy, he should return to the player that hits 20 plus home runs a season.

Seeing what the White Sox do with Kimbrel should be very interesting.