Craig Kimbrel just turned the Rangers’ gamble into an Astros win

One has to wonder just what the Texas Rangers had in mind when they signed former All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel to a free agent contract and sent him to Triple-A Round Rock. Whatever those plans are, they're over now as the team released him from his contract, and he almost immediately signed with the division rival Houston Astros.

The Astros are officially the third franchise he's been a part of in 2025, as he was initially signed by the Rangers when the Atlanta Braves unceremoniously released him. At the time it appeared, Kimbrel might eventually get at least a few innings for a Rangers bullpen that was overworked and not particularly effective in late innings. However, he never got called up, even for a single outing.

Craig Kimbrel’s short-lived stint with the Texas Rangers

Craig Kimbrel signing with the Astros is the second time this season that the Texas Rangers have released a pitcher from his minor league deal, only to see him sign with another AL team almost immediately. Earlier this year, they allowed Adrian Houser to go on his merry way, and he pitched quite well out of the Chicago White Sox rotation before being traded to the Tampa Bay Rays at the deadline.

For Round Rock, Kimbrel appeared in 24 games and posted a 3.86 earned run average. He did post 5 saves, but wasn't anywhere near as dominant as he has been in the past. That was the same story with the Braves' minor league organization before he came to the Rangers.

It's not entirely clear if Houston will immediately call up the brief Texas Rangers pitcher or whether he'll need to toil with their Triple-A to try and earn a promotion; however, it is thought to be a major league deal.