GLENDALE, Ariz. — Craig Kimbrel had been mentioned in trade speculation throughout the offseason.
The Chicago White Sox found a new home for the reliever Friday and in the process addressed a need in right field by sending Kimbrel to the Los Angeles Dodgers for outfielder AJ Pollock.
The major move comes a week before the Sox open the regular season April 8 against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park.
“We are thrilled to add a player of AJ Pollock’s caliber to this roster,” Sox general manager Rick Hahn said. “We view him as making us better offensively as well as defensively and providing us with some important flexibility as we go through this season, as well as some depth for whatever valleys may lie ahead for us.”
Pollock has a career .281/.338/.482 slash line with 126 home runs and 414 RBIs in 895 games during 10 seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks (2012-18) and Dodgers (2019-21). He was an NL All-Star and won a Gold Glove Award in 2015.
“He had a good situation (with the Dodgers) and (he’s) very excited to come here,” manager Tony La Russa said. “I knew him in Arizona, high-quality guy, can play three positions, can hit him anywhere. He runs well.
“He’s a good, experienced, championship-type player.”
Pollock, 34, slashed 297/.355/.536 with a career-high-tying 21 home runs, 69 RBIs, 53 runs and nine stolen bases in 117 games last season.
“Quality, professional hitter,” Hahn said. “We all know what he’s capable of doing defensively. We’ve already had a handful of conversations with Tony and with the coaches about how we are going to mix him in as well as continue to obviously get Eloy (Jiménez) and Luis Robert and (Gavin) Sheets and (Andrew) Vaughn their opportunities as well. Excited by the addition. Think it makes us better.”
Pollock has played 659 games in center, 164 in left and six in right.
“Trust me, he can play right field,” La Russa said. “He’s a really good athlete and has a good arm.”
Pollock gives the Sox yet another player with postseason experience, including winning a World Series with the 2020 Dodgers. He has played in 34 playoff games.
“Every time you’ve gone through (the postseason), you learn something,” La Russa said.
Pollock gives the Sox another option in the outfield while Kimbrel gets the chance to return to pitching in the ninth inning after longtime Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen signed with the Atlanta Braves. Kimbrel is ninth on the all-time saves list with 372.
“His character is as good as it gets,” La Russa said of Kimbrel. “(The trade) works out really well for him and works out well for us.”
Kimbrel, 33, combined to go 4-5 with a 2.26 ERA, 24 saves, seven holds, 100 strikeouts, a .150 batting average against and 0.91 WHIP in 63 relief appearances between the Cubs and Sox in 2021.
The Sox acquired the eight-time All-Star in July from the Cubs in one of the biggest moves at the trade deadline, adding to a bullpen that featured closer Liam Hendriks. Kimbrel had a bumpy transition going from closer to a setup role, finishing with a 5.09 ERA in 24 appearances.
“Sad to see Craig go,” Hahn said, “but he’s got a great opportunity for him with a very, very good Dodgers team and very likely in a role he obviously has excelled in for the vast majority of his career.”
Kimbrel hugged former teammates, including Michael Kopech, Friday before exiting.
“Sucks to see Craig go because he’s just the best ever,” Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito said. “He’s been so great in the clubhouse, he fit in immediately when we got him. He was such an integral part of our overall vibe in the clubhouse and he could have helped us immensely out of the bullpen this year, but it ends up being a really good deal for both sides.
“Trades are like, ‘Who is the winner?’ And I think it’s going to work for both sides because we get such a good player from the Dodgers. I haven’t met him yet but I’ve heard nothing but great things. And Craig gets to go to the Dodgers and have a wonderful opportunity there.”
Sox pitcher Dallas Keuchel echoed those thoughts.
“I do feel like the trade benefited both sides, so it’s not going to be one side or the other who got the best of it, and AJ is a great player too,” Keuchel said. “I’ve faced him many times, and he’s a tough out.”
The Sox announced seven other roster moves Friday, optioning pitcher Matt Foster, catcher Zack Collins, infielder Jake Burger and recently-acquired outfielder Adam Haseley to Triple-A Charlotte and reassigning infielder Zach Remillard and outfielders Luis Basabe and Dwight Smith Jr. to minor-league camp.
With the moves, the Sox have 35 players remaining in camp: 18 pitchers, three catchers, eight infielders and six outfielders.
