Craig Kimbrel could be making a return... to Fenway Park.
Seriously. There is a very good chance the former Boston Red Sox star closer is live, in person, at Fenway Park next week. That might sound really exciting for some, and perhaps it still will be when you find out why. There is a chance Kimbrel could be at the team's home opener for the World Series ring ceremony (next Tuesday).
Kimbrel might not be on the team this season, but he sure as heck earned that World Series ring. And even though the Red Sox did not give him the money he wants, they still want him at Fenway to pick up his ring.
“I actually spoke with him yesterday to formally invite him,” Red Sox team president Sam Kennedy told MassLive. “He is going to let us know if he can make it."
Still, this doesn't mean the team is going to re-sign him. Dave Dombrowski said that was "extremely unlikely" when asked about it back in February. The team has 44 rings to give out, and 33 of the players are still in the organization, as MassLive points out, so there should be a number of them at the World Series ring ceremony. It's unclear how many PawSox guys will be there since they'll be playing someone at McCoy Stadium on the same day. But yeah, you get the idea....
As for some of the household names, who were on the team last season but are now elsewhere, it's hard to imagine them making the trip out to Boston. Joe Kelly is on the Los Angeles Dodgers. Drew Pomeranz is on the San Francisco Giants. And Ian Kinsler is a member of the San Diego Padres. Plus, Hanley Ramirez might not have been on the team after May, but he is a Cleveland Indian now.