Kenley Jansen signed his first skilled contract with the Dodgers 21 years in the past. He was Clayton Kershaw’s catcher in rookie ball. He has been honored as an All-Star 4 occasions. He has saved extra video games than all however three males in main league historical past, all of them Corridor of Famers. He received a World Sequence with the Dodgers.
For all that Jansen has completed in his 20 years in professional ball, there’s one factor he has not skilled: He by no means has been traded.
That would occur within the coming days, with baseball’s commerce deadline subsequent Thursday. As we talked about that chance Friday at Angel Stadium, and about how the game generally is a chilly enterprise at occasions, he dropped 11 phrases that stood out.
“I thought,” he stated, “I would play my whole career with the Dodgers.”
Perhaps you’ll be able to go residence once more.
The Dodgers are urgently purchasing for right-handed relievers. In Anaheim, Jansen is having fun with a season that by some measures is his greatest since 2021, his final season with the Dodgers.
First issues first: Jansen didn’t signal with the Angels simply to rack up saves. He’s 36 saves shy of 500, a milestone reached solely by Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman.
“I came here with one goal in mind,” Jansen stated, “and the goal was to help this team turn around, to end that playoff drought. That’s what I’m here for.
“If they move me, I’d definitely feel disappointed we didn’t accomplish it.”
However let’s be actual: The longest playoff drought within the majors is prone to hit 11 years. The Angels must cross six groups to sneak into the final wild-card spot within the American League playoffs.
The Angels demoted their fifth starter this month. They’ve been operating bullpen video games as a result of that they had nobody of their farm system able to fill the emptiness. They solely have two starters you might pencil into their 2026 rotation.
They want pitching depth, and it might be organizational malpractice to not get some by buying and selling their pending free brokers, Jansen included.
Kenley Jansen pitches for the Dodgers in opposition to the Atlanta Braves in Recreation 3 of the NLCS on Oct. 19, 2021.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Occasions)
For the Angels, the optimum end result can be a workforce determined for a better overpaying to get Jansen.
Nonetheless, such a workforce can be extra prone to overpay for the marquee names in the marketplace, together with Jhoan Duran of the Minnesota Twins, Emmanuel Clase of the Cleveland Guardians and Felix Bautista of the Baltimore Orioles, with a second tier led by David Bednar of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Ryan Helsley of the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Dodgers hate to overpay.
Jansen has 17 saves and one blown save, with a 1.00 earned-run common in save conditions and a 3.19 ERA total. The latter is his lowest ERA since 2021. By ERA+, a statistic that accounts for league and ballpark components, Jansen was at 131 getting into play Friday — or 31% higher than league common.
The one Dodgers relievers with an ERA above 131+, getting into play Friday: left-handers Alex Vesia and Jack Dreyer.
Dodgers relievers entered play Friday throwing 49.2% of the workforce’s innings pitched; the best share of any main league workforce. Vesia, Anthony Banda and the injured Tanner Scott rank among the many high 20 in appearances. Ben Casparius, who earned his first main league save Friday, ranked second amongst main league relievers in innings pitched.
In a great world, the Dodgers would enter the playoffs with 4 major right-handed relievers: Blake Treinen, Michael Kopech, Brusdar Graterol and Evan Phillips.
Phillips is out for the season. Treinen may return from the injured listing subsequent week, with Kopech presumably to observe subsequent month and Graterol in September, however it’s dangerous to rely on injured gamers to return wholesome and efficient.
In a significant league profession that began in 2010, Jansen by no means has been on the injured listing due to an elbow or forearm problem, and his two stints for shoulder irritation have been temporary.
The Dodgers may drop Jansen into their mixture of high-leverage right-handers. They might not need Jansen if he would wish to be the unquestioned nearer.
He’s getting the job finished as a better, and he’s getting nearer to 500 saves. However the Dodgers’ analysts would most likely be aware of his profession highs in exit velocity and hard-hit balls, and a .795 OPS in opposition to left-handers that compares unfavorably to his .601 profession mark, and would possibly wish to spot him in opposition to a run of right-handers. Might be the sixth inning, might be the ninth.
Whether or not it’s the Dodgers or another contending workforce, would Jansen contemplate a job outdoors the ninth inning?
“At that point, it’s just about getting rings,” Jansen stated. “My goal is to win. You play for that, always. I understand there is a milestone I am close to. But, at the end of the day, it’s what you play for. You play to win. You play to win a World Series.
“If I have to go throw the sixth, seventh, eighth, I would do it. I’m a professional. I would do what I do best, and that is pitch.”
Jansen stated he hasn’t given up on this Angels workforce, or this Angels season. He would like to win in Anaheim. The Angels may assist him do this: Commerce him for an additional pitching piece that would assist them subsequent 12 months, then signal Jansen once more over the winter.
