Veteran Major League Baseball catcher James McCann was not happy with the Atlanta Braves and their treatment of Craig Kimbrel.
Kimbrel has been one of the best relievers in baseball for over a decade as he’s a nine-time All-Star and four-time NL Saves leader, along with being a World Series champion.
As the 37-year-old’s career is winding down, he signed a minor league deal with the Braves this offseason to return to the organization that drafted him. Kimbrel pitched well in the minors and got called up. In his return to the majors, he pitched a scoreless inning.
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Despite not even allowing a hit, the Braves DFA’d Kimbrel the next day. After the news, McCann, who was his teammate in Baltimore last season and in Triple-A this year, blasted the Braves organization for the treatment of an all-time great.
“That really frustrated me, and a lot of the guys in our locker room were very frustrated with it,” McCann said. “It was strange to call him up for a day and DFA him. He’s not just a run-of-the-mill reliever who became a journeyman after two or three years in the big leagues. He’s a future Hall of Famer.”
Kimbrel ended up electing free agency, and he signed a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers. It was a short stint in his reunion with the Braves, and McCann is not happy with his the team treated one of the games' best relievers.
Kimbel is a two-time MLB Reliever of the Year and won NL Rookie of the Year in 2011.
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