PHOENIX — The Dodgers pulled off a blockbuster trade Friday, acquiring All-Star reliever Craig Kimbrel from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for outfielder AJ Pollock.
Kimbrel, 33, has been one of baseball's best closers for most of the last decade, with 372 saves and a 2.18 ERA during his 12-year career. With the Dodgers, he can fill the void left by the departure of Kenley Jansen, likely taking over a closer role the team had previously been planning to address by committee.
To pull the deal off, however, the Dodgers had to give up one of the most experienced pieces of their lineup in Pollock, a 10-year veteran coming off two of the best seasons of his career.
