While there are a slew of free agent relief pitchers, the market isn’t expected to begin moving until one of Aroldis Chapman, Kenley Jansen or Mark Melancon is signed. The first domino to fall appears to be Melancon, as he reportedly agreed to a contract with the San Francisco Giants.
The Giants and Nationals at one point were also among the clubs linked to Chapman and Jansen. The Los Angeles Dodgers are also part of the picture.
However, one report suggested San Francisco would not stretch themselves to ink either of the dominant closers to a record contract. Melancon, a solid option himself, is widely viewed as a third wheel of sorts.
Beyond the obvious clubs in need of a closer this offseason, the Miami Marlins are also said to be scouring the market, with Jansen one of their top targets.
According to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, some teams believe the Marlins may be willing to sign Jansen to a long-term contract:
Rival clubs believe #Marlins willing to offer Jansen five years, $80M and lose No. 14 pick in draft. Marlins say they’re still discussing.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 5, 2016
In July, multiple executives speculated that Jansen would receive a five-year contract as a free agent. That notion was reiterated over the weekend.
Former Dodgers manager and current Marlins skipper Don Mattingly represents some connection to Jansen. Mattingly often raved about the power right-hander during his tenure with the Dodgers.
Miami represents an interesting paradox given their propensity to shed salary more times than not. Though, the club did sign Giancarlo Stanton and Dee Gordon to significant contract extensions, and last offseason landed Wei-Yin Chen on a five-year contract, $80 million contract.
Jansen truly gained national notoriety this season, earning his first career All-Star appearance, then shining in the postseason under a new role. During the regular season Jansen converted 47 saves and yielded a 1.83 ERA and 0.67 WHIP.
He made seven appearances during the playoffs, six of which were scoreless. Jansen threw a then-career-high 51 pitches and 2.1 innings in Game 5 of the National League Division Series against the Nationals.
He exceeded that by throwing three shutout frames against the Chicago Cubs in Game 6 of the NL Championship Series.
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Farhan Zaidi both placed an emphasis on re-signing Jansen.
