With Spring Training starting this week, the Boston Red Sox don’t have many of their own free agents left on the market.
However, on Tuesday, one of the few remaining unsigned found a new team, as MLB insider Jon Heyman reported that reliever Kenley Jansen has agreed to a deal with the Los Angeles Angels.
Jansen, 37, spent the first 12 seasons of his MLB career with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2010-21), earning three All-Star nominations and winning a World Series with the club. Then, after one season with the Atlanta Braves (2022), he signed a two-year, $32 million deal with Boston.
In his two years with the Red Sox, he appeared in 105 games, posting a 3.44 ERA, 1.158 WHIP and 10.3 K/9. He also recorded 56 saves and was named an All-Star in 2023.
Last year, Jansen’s usage was a bit strange, as he wasn’t getting the closing opportunities as frequently as he normally would. He finished the year with 27 saves (his fewest in a full season in his career) and a 3.29 ERA, 1.061 WHIP and 10.2 K/9 over 54 2/3 innings.
Now, he’s headed back to Los Angeles (but for a different team) while Boston is still trying to figure out who’ll close games for them in 2025. They have intriguing, capable options, but none as reliable as Jansen had been during his two-year stint.
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