Former MLB GM Suggests Kimbrel Likely Knew Braves Reunion Would Be Short

When Craig Kimbrel was designated for assignment by the Atlanta Braves, there was a feeling by many that they did wrong by their former All-Star. He was back, he pitched a scoreless inning and was gone the following day, potentially blindsiding him. However, one former MLB general manager doesn't share this online sentiment.

Former general manager of the Montreal Expos and Florida/Miami Marlins, Dave Samson, said on his podcast, Nothing Personal, that fans are assuming too much about the situation.

"For what ever reason, you're under the impression that Craig Kimbrel was upset about this," he said. "As if the Braves didn't communicate to Craig Kimbrel was is going on."

Samson said with assurance that everything that had happened was run by Kimbrel. This goes back to the minor league deal. The exact time in which he was called up and his timeline was likely discussed with Kimbrel in advance. Most of the time, players don't get a run down. However, with a player of Kimbrel's stature, it's different.

"You know he's not gonna take advantage of your injured list," Samson said. "So, therefore, you simply tell the player how it's gonna be and what the circumstance is that is likely to happen. Because you don't know for sure that you're gonna take him off the roster after one game, but you do know that there is the possibilty, and you let him know."

Since he wasn't a guarantee that Kimbrel was only going to be back for one game, Samson said the Braves aren't going to announce how long he's sticking around publically.

"There are a myriad of things that can happen that can screw up you do roster management," he said. "So, fans are not part of the equation."

However, there is one thing that Samson would have liked the Braves to have done differently.

"I would like the Braves to have simply said, 'hey, yeah, we designated Craig Kimbrel, I know that sounds crazy, but Craig was aware the whole time what we were doing. We had a roster situation, and this is what made the most sense at this time."

Samson felt that was a solid way to handle the discourse online. However, there is a potential reason the Braves said nothing. It was a potential distraction to the losing.

"If they weren't the bad guys here, you'd go back to focusing on how bad the team is doing," he said.

Samson felt that any length of time fans are distracted, even for a minute, is good for the Braves. Whether or not that strategy, if that was actually the plan, is debatable. The fact that they were struggling definitely came up in the chatter about Kimbrel's departure online.

Everyone just has to settle for Kimbrel simply getting to wear the Braves uniform one last time. He pitched a scoreless inning on Friday against the San Francisco Giants in what is likely his final time pitching for the team.

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