Craig Kimbrel is forcing the Rangers hand, will Chris Young be patient?

There was a period years ago when Craig Kimbrel was the most feared closer in baseball.

Opposing teams knew that when they were facing a team with Kimbrel closing, they were only going to have eight innings to win the game because he was automatic in the ninth, just like Mariano Rivera.

From 2011-2018, finishing games for the Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, and Boston Red Sox, Kimbrel registered 341 saves and led the league in the high-leverage category four times.

Injuries and Father Time have humbled Kimbrel over the past six seasons

Since 2019, Kimbrel has seen his once-dominant stuff disappear. In stops with six different teams, his once un-hittable heater and off-speed arsenal has been mediocre at best.

Now at 37 years old and having dealt with a litany of arm injuries, Kimbrel finds himself in Round Rock with the Texas Rangers Triple-A affiliate after signing a minor league deal on June 10.

In his first appearance with Round Rock he overwhelmed the minor league batters and struck out the side. He has made a total of two appearances, allowing no hits and one walk striking out five of the six outs he's recorded.

The Rangers need a bona fide closer, so how long will Chris Young kick the tires before buying his new toy?

It's no secret that the Rangers have been needing a guy who can come in a slam the door late on opponents in close games.

They have been squeaking by using a committee of guys like Robert Garcia, Luke Jackson and Shawn Armstrong but none of those guys are true closers, despite their mostly successful efforts.

When will POBO Chris Young roll the dice on one of the most dominant closers and potential future Hall of Famer who is beyond his halcyon days, but could still offer the organization the best option late in games?

Young has shown over the years that he is willing to reward and promote players who are ready to do their thing in the majors, and he has to be eager to have a proven closer in his bullpen. But it is a small sample size, and he will likely want to see a couple more solid outings from Kimbrel before pulling the trigger. Now, if the current closers blow a few games in the near future, he will be more likely to take his chances.