After a rebound season, Kenley Jansen has set himself up for another lucrative contract, which was not projected to be the case heading into the year.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are reportedly considering trying to re-sign Jansen, but they are unwilling to pay top dollar with so many other holes to fill on the roster.
This might require Jansen to decide if he wants to stay with the only organization he knows or sign with another team to continue his career elsewhere at a potentially higher salary.
If Jansen does look to leave L.A., the Philadelphia Phillies would make sense as they have had a revolving door of closers and they are among the teams interested in his services, according to Jon Heyman on the “Big Time Baseball podcast”:
“Jansen certainly loves being in L.A., and I think they’ll figure that out. I know Philly and some other teams are interested, but I’ve got to think they (Dodgers and Jansen) are going to figure that out.”
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman believes Jansen has earned the right to take all the time he needs to compare offers from other clubs and make the best decision for his family.
While the Dodgers presumably prefer keeping Jansen around for the remainder of his career, it sounds like they would be understanding if he ultimately signs with another team this offseason.
During the 2021 season, Jansen pitched to a 2.22 ERA and 3.08 FIP in 69 innings while striking out 30.9% of hitters and walking 12.9%. He also saved 38 games in 43 chances.
Jansen has spent the past 11 seasons with the Dodgers and with 350 career saves, he is the franchise’s all-time leader in that category.
Prior to the 2017 season, Jansen signed a five-year, $80 million contract to remain in L.A.
Jansen would remain closer if he re-signs
If the Dodgers do re-sign Jansen, he would be returning to his role as the closer, according to Friedman.
If he signs with another team, Blake Treinen would likely take over the closer role unless L.A. signs or acquires another top reliever.
The Dodgers will need to figure out the back end of their bullpen this offseason as Corey Knebel, Joe Kelly and Jimmy Nelson are also free agents.
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