Los Angeles Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen has arguably been the top reliever in all of baseball thus far in 2017, converting all 21 of his save attempts in dominant fashion. Last season, the best closer moniker squarely lied with Zach Britton of the Baltimore Orioles.
He converted all 47 save opportunities and finished fourth in 2016 American League Cy Young voting. Britton has struggled to remain healthy this year, and the Orioles are underperforming at 42-46, which has them 7.5 games out of first place in the AL East.
Thus, Britton may be on the trading block, and the Dodgers reportedly among the teams with interest in the 29-year-old. The possibility of forming a dominant duo with Britton is something that excites Jansen, per Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball:
“Man, that would be awesome,” said Kenley Jansen, the game’s best closer when informed the Dodgers had at least had a conversation with the Orioles. “You just gave me goose bumps.”
The Dodgers previously attempted to pair Jansen with a left-handed closer when they nearly traded for Aroldis Chapman at the 2015 Winter Meetings. Although he was entering a contract season, Jansen later explained he would have not been bothered by the acquisition of Chapman.
Britton has been plagued by injuries this season, as he has appeared in just 11 games, yielding a 2.25 ERA. He had a historic 2016 season though, pitching to a 0.54 ERA, 1.94 FIP and 0.84 WHIP while striking out 74 and walking 18 in 67 innings.
Acquiring a dominant reliever before the non-waiver trade deadline could be the move that puts the Dodgers over the hump and leads to their first World Series appearance since 1988. At the same time, it presumably would require the team to part with notable prospects, which they’ve largely resisted under president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman.
