Craig Kimbrel reportedly has lowered the very high bar he set in free agency.
The All-Star closer is "believed" to have dropped his asking price on his next contract from $96 million to $86 million, FanCred's Jon Heyman reported Thursday.
According to Heyman, though, that number is still "too rich" for the Boston Red Sox -- by a good margin, it appears. The Red Sox are interested in re-signing Kimbrel but are aiming for a four-year contract in "the $60 million to $70 million range, or perhaps a bit over that," Heyman reported.
Kimbrel initially sought a deal worth more than $100 million over six years, so it appears Boston is making progress. The 30-year-old may not take much more of a discount, though. Aroldis Chapman recently signed an $86 million deal, and Kimbrel arguably has a similar resume, with seven All-Star appearances and a 42-save season in 2018.
President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski reportedly has other irons in the fire, however.
Former New York Yankees reliever David Robertson still is on the Red Sox's radar, per Heyman, who notes Boston also could go the internal route, with Ryan Brasier a potential closer candidate after he came out of nowhere last season to post a 1.60 ERA over 34 appearances.
Kimbrel would be the first domino to fall, though: The Red Sox reportedly are waiting to see what happens with the veteran reliever before making any other moves.
Boston Red Sox
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