White Sox get Craig Kimbrel in deal with Cubs: AL Central leaders have fearsome bullpen

The Chicago White Sox have raided their crosstown rivals for relief help - and may have built the game's most dominant bullpen in the process.

The White Sox on Friday acquired All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel from the Chicago Cubs, creating a double-barreled late-inning duo that will make them a daunting matchup come October.

The move comes one day after the White Sox acquired valued set-up man Ryan Tepera from the Cubs. And it comes four years after they acquired two crucial pieces of their current club - outfielder Eloy Jimenez and starter Dylan Cease - from the Cubs in a July trade for lefty Jose Quintana.

Now, it is the White Sox paying a steep price: They traded rookie second baseman Nick Madrigal – the fourth overall pick in the 2018 draft – and reliever Codi Heuer to the Cubs.

Madrigal is out for the season after undergoing hamstring surgery, but it's clear the White Sox - who have an eight-game lead in the fetid AL Central - are playing for the now.

And what a bullpen they've lined up, for this year and potentially 2022.

Kimbrel will pair with fellow All-Star Liam Hendriks at the back end of games, with Tepera, the oft-dominant Michael Kopech and power lefty Garrett Crochet setting them up. Hendriks is signed through at least 2022 while the White Sox, if inclined, can pick up a $16 million option on Kimbrel for 2022.

Kimbrel has a 0.49 ERA with 64 strikeouts in 39 games this season with 23 saves in 25 chances, converting his last 16.

One of the top players on the market in the winter of 2018-19, Kimbrel went unsigned until after the June draft as teams wanted to avoid giving up compensation picks. The Cubs signed Kimbrel to a three-year, $43 million deal but he struggled the rest of the way, limited to 23 games with a 6.53 ERA.

After another long offseason, Kimbrel was bombed in his first few outings of the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign – but was dominant the rest of the way, posting a 1.42 ERA in his last 14 appearances as the Cubs reached the postseason.