I think the closer is an important role on any winning team, but we can't employ the best at every position. It's a trade-off.
Many teams, including the Astros have proven you can win without a light-out closer.
I love Kimbrel, and would like to keep him, but paying him Chapman money will mean we can't keep someone else ... and not just for next year either. Kimbrel's contract will be close to 9% of our player payroll for 3-5 more years.
I hated to see Pablebon go, but it was the right thing to do. (I felt that way at the time and still do in hindsight.)
It won't be easy to find the next Uehara, if there even is one. I have close to zero percent confidence in anyone in our system at this moment in time, but I suppose that could change by this coming winter.