Craig Kimbrel appears like he's headed to Chicago.
According to The Athletic, which cited unidentified sources, the Cubs are in agreement with the free agent closer.
BREAKING: #Cubs in agreement with free-agent closer Craig Kimbrel, pending physical, sources tell The Athletic.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) June 6, 2019
Kimbrel was reportedly interested in a deal in the three-year, $39 million to $52 million range, down from the five- or six-year contract he initially was seeking this offseason.
According to The Athletic, his deal will be for three years and close to $45 million.
Kimbrel deal with #Cubs will be three years and close to $45M, sources tell The Athletic.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) June 6, 2019
The 31-year-old had 42 saves and a 2.74 ERA en route to his seventh All-Star selection last season, his third with the Red Sox after previous stints with the Padres and Braves.
He owns a career 1.91 ERA and ranks 14th all-time in MLB saves with 333.
Ben Zobrist remains on the restricted list and Cubs manager Joe Maddon said last week he has to prepare for the utility man staying on the list for the remainder of the season. Should that happen, Chicago could end up saving around $9 million this season.
Zobrist, who was slated to earn $12.5 million, has been away from the team since May 8 while dealing with a complicated divorce.
Other teams rumored to have had interest in Kimbrel include the Twins, Braves, Brewers, Phillies, Rays and Red Sox.