Longtime closer Kenley Jansen is returning to a familiar place, Southern California, though this time, he’ll be in Anaheim. The 37-year-old signed a 1-year, $10 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels, league sources told The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal.
Jansen spent his first 12 big league seasons with the rival Los Angeles Dodgers, where he was a three-time All-Star and recorded the first 350 of his 447 career saves, which is the most among active pitchers.
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Time will tell, however, if Jansen will become the Angels’ closer. The team has fireballer Ben Joyce, who moved into the closer’s role late last season with much success.
Ultimately, it’s a good problem for the Angels to have. And with Joyce’s injury history, combined with Jansen’s age, there’s an impetus for splitting the closing duties.
Jansen has remained an effective back-end option, even as he’s progressed into his late-30s. In 2023, he earned his fourth career All-Star nod in his first season with the Red Sox. Last season, he posted a 3.29 ERA over 54 2/3 innings, including 62 strikeouts, 20 walks and 27 saves.
Angels pitchers and catchers report on Wednesday, though it’s unclear if Jansen will report then. The deal is pending a physical, and the club has yet to formally announce the addition.
The team’s offseason started red hot, with the additions of Travis d’Arnaud, Jorge Soler, Kyle Hendricks and Yusei Kikuchi. Then, for nearly 10 weeks, the Angels were dormant, only making two small additions to the 40-man roster.
Last week, GM Perry Minasian signed third baseman Yoan Moncada to a one-year, $5 million contract, before adding Jansen Tuesday morning.
(Photo: Charles LeClaire / Imagn Images)
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