Multiple reports now suggest that
Craig Kimbrel's
ludicrous initial demands for a six-year, $100 million contract have been reduced. He is now reportedly seeking a deal somewhere in the $80-$86 million range—with the
term of the contract still unclear. That range is roughly in the ballpark of the contracts signed by other elite closers like
Aroldis Chapman and
Kenley Jansen. This new set of parameters may
still be too rich for Boston's blood—and thus alternative options like
Dave Robertson and
Adam Ottaviano are still in play for
Dave Dombrowski. However, the overall reliever market is dwindling fast—with multiple signings happening virtually every day. One would have to think that the Red Sox will need to "fish or cut bait" by the first week of January or so in order to have a solid idea of what the back-end of the bullpen will look like for the 2019 season. Believe it or not,
Opening Day is just 97 days from today—and the first
Spring Training game (against
The Evil Ones, by the way) is just 64 days away.
