Above: Kenley Jansen on the move. Kenley Jansen is pitching for the Braves in this picture against the San Francisco Giants in June 2022. Jansen is now on the move, signing a 2-year, $32-million contract with the Boston Red Sox. Jansen will now be playing for his third different team in the last three seasons.
Kenley Jansen is on the move again, as he signed a 2-year deal with the Boston Red Sox. This is Jansen’s third new team in three seasons.
Relief pitcher Kenley Jansen is on the move. And another superstar domino falls down in free agency. The word is in that the veteran star closer Kenley Jansen is agreeing to a 2-year, $32-million contract with the Boston Red Sox.
With multiple stars cashing in on new deals during the 2022 Winter Meetings, Jansen strikes a deal to be Boston’s new closer. It remains to be seen if the Sox will have set roles in the bullpen, but their newest addition will likely take the ninth inning. The Red Sox needed pitching help at the start of the offseason, and now they have signed three. Jansen joins Chris Martin and Joely Rodriguez in an improved relief corps.
And, as Jay Cohen of AP Sports notes here in this ABC News article, Jansen is a steady and reliable hand out of the pen. After 12 seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Curacao native did not miss a beat after joining Atlanta. His ERA went up a full run, but his FIP was right in line with his previous three seasons. He also led the league in saves with 41.
His stats won’t exactly blow people away, per se, but he can do what is asked from his manager and be a shutdown arm to finish games.
Jansen Latest Domino in Big-Money Offseason
But he’s not the only big-name pitcher off the market. Our own Ben Schneider discusses the money that’s flying around for other big names here.
Jansen is just the latest reliever to have struck a deal that will pay him at least $15 million a year. Other big names like Edwin Diaz, Rafael Montero, and Robert Suarez have also drawn at minimum eight-figure offers already this offseason.
Final Thoughts
So with all the money flying around, who will be the next big contract? Who knows at this point?
But one thing is for sure, Kenley Jansen may find himself as the back-end anchor of the Red Sox bullpen for a little bit.
And one word associated with Jansen is consistency. He puts up solid numbers as a closer each and every season.
Sometimes, he may even be a little bit slept on. But he is reliable, with over 60 appearances in every full season going back a decade.
And having someone like that can be a crucial piece toward a postseason run. For the Red Sox, Kenley is a solid add.