GLENDALE, ARIZ. — Craig Kimbrel’s name came up in trade speculation during the offseason.
But Thursday morning, the Chicago White Sox reliever was completing a bullpen session at Camelback Ranch.
“I’m here to get ready for the season and do whatever I need to do,” Kimbrel said Thursday after the workout. “If it’s close out a game, I’ll close out a game. If it’s coming and getting a starter out of a jam, I’ll do that as well. I’m here to win ballgames.
“This team is really good. It’d be nice to be a part of it and do my part to help this team win.”
The Sox acquired the eight-time All-Star in July from the Cubs in one of the biggest moves at the trade deadline. He had a bumpy transition from being a closer to a setup role, finishing with a 5.09 ERA in 24 appearances.
“It definitely didn’t turn out like we planned,” Kimbrel said. “It would have been perfect if I had come over and not given up any runs. That would have been the best-case scenario. It didn’t happen. I can learn from what I went through last year, then if I’m asked to do whatever, I’ll be ready for whatever. I just need to know what to be ready for and I’ll try to do my best at that.”
The Sox exercised his $16 million club option in November, with general manager Rick Hahn saying at the time the team had to figure out what made the most sense for Kimbrel, either with the Sox or via a trade.
Last week, manager Tony La Russa said he expects the right-hander with 372 career saves to be with the Sox on opening day.
“When you’re wired like he (Kimbrel) is for so long, my three outs are at the end of the game — these are men, not machines — that’s a very difficult adjustment,” La Russa said Saturday. “But he’s a great guy and he’s a competitor and he’ll make the adjustment.”
Hahn said La Russa had the “right expectation.”
“Until he’s not in that room, he’s part of what we are trying to do here,” Hahn said Monday. “I’ve spoken with Craig, with his representative, and they both fully understand we view Craig as a piece of building a championship team. He’s preparing to be part of it, which is the right step at this part.”
Kimbrel, 33, appreciated the conversations he and his agent had with Hahn and executive vice president Ken Williams.
“Very respectful with how straightforward and transparent they were through everything,” Kimbrel said. “Thinking about my career and what I can do and having that on the forefront of their mind, thinking about what might be best for me. In my mind, what’s best for me is winning ballgames. I want to put another ring on my hand. At the end of the day that’s really it.”
Teammates expressed support.
“You always get a little bit more comfortable once you start getting into the weeds of things,” Sox closer Liam Hendriks said Saturday. “You are coming into a new team, new personality, not sure how it’s going to go. Now he knows us all out there and him coming out here hopefully will solidify everything going forward and we can make this a pretty decent bullpen.”
The bullpen was a focus of the offseason for the Sox, who signed Kendall Graveman to a three-year deal and brought in Joe Kelly on a two-year contract.
“We’ve got a lot of good arms and maybe not enough innings,” Kimbrel said. “That’s a good problem to have. We’ve got guys that can throw from whenever the starter comes out to the ninth inning, and I think you can flip-flop and switch guys around based on the matchup. I think it’s going to be a — I wouldn’t say a problem — but a good problem to have when you’ve got so many weapons that can go any time.”
Vaughn, Cespedes homer in split-squad win
The Sox hit three home runs in a 5-3 victory against the Cubs in a seven-inning split-squad game as they began Cactus League play Thursday at Camelback Ranch. Right fielder Andrew Vaughn hit a solo home run in the first, second baseman Zach Remillard led off the second with a home run and center fielder Yoelqui Céspedes added a two-run homer later in the inning.
Third baseman Jake Burger doubled, singled and walked. Hendriks allowed one single in a scoreless inning.
