Kenley Jansen was in position this winter to bear the fruits of his labor after three seasons spent establishing himself as one of the top closers in baseball. Jansen was one of three marquee free agents the Los Angeles Dodgers had, which cast some doubt on a return.
The right-hander was viewed in the same class as Aroldis Chapman, with the duo more coveted than fellow closer Mark Melancon. The 31-year-old Melancon was first to sign, inking a four-year, $62 million deal with the San Francisco Giants.
Chapman followed, agreeing to a five-year, $86 million contract with the New York Yankees. That left Jansen as the last man standing, with a strong push from the Miami Marlins and the Washington Nationals still in the picture.
The Dodgers, while interested in a reunion, appeared to have fallen behind. Jansen was married over the weekend in his native Curaçao, and Dodgers teammates Yasiel Puig, Justin Turner and Scott Van Slyke were among those who attended.
It was at that point Jansen seemingly realized how strongly he wanted to re-sign with the Dodgers, his agent Adam Katz explained in an interview on MLB Network Radio:
“My instructions early on were to explore the market and extract best positions. At his wedding on Saturday, I think something pivoted for him. I think it was being with his teammates and family, (he) got a jolt of how important family and continuity was. He called me over the weekend and said he was having difficulties processing leaving the Dodgers, and instructed me to work hard to get it done. … He pivoted over the weekend. He wanted to be a Dodger, no matter what.”
In agreeing to a five-year, $80 million pact with the Dodgers, Jansen rejected more lucrative offers from the Marlins and Nationals. His deal includes an opt-out clause after the 2019 season, and compensation in the event Jansen is traded by the Dodgers.
In his three full seasons as closer, the 29-year-old has 127 saves with a 2.32 ERA, 1.80 FIP and 0.86 WHIP. With 189 career saves, Jansen this season broke Eric Gagne’s record for most saves all-time in Dodgers franchise history.
