Kenley Jansen Signs with Boston Red Sox

While a reunion seemed unlikely, any potential of the 6’5″ closer returning to the Atlanta Braves ended Wednesday morning, as Jeff Passan reported that Kenley Jansen had signed with the Boston Red Sox.

The two year, $32 million contract gives Kenley Jansen the same AAV he signed for with the Braves back in March, plus an additional year. Jansen joined Atlanta only a few days after Freddie Freeman joined the Dodgers, in a strange switch of sorts.

The longtime Dodgers closer now moves to his third team in three years, after spending the first 12 years of his major league career with Los Angeles.

What Kenley Jansen’s departure means for the Braves

Despite the Braves and Jansen both stating they would be open to a return, Jansen returning to Atlanta seemed unlikely.

While Jansen had a solid season in what turns out to be his only one with the Braves, accumulating 1.1 fWAR in 64 innings (3.38 ERA/3.21 FIP), the Braves’ bullpen depth and the midseason acquisition of Rasiel Iglesias made it clear that Anthopoulos wouldn’t be overpaying for the 35-year-old.

Overall, the Curaçao native’s tenure in Atlanta was a successful one. He managed to rank in the 80th percentile or above in eight Baseball Savant categories, including xERA, xBA, K%, and xSLG.

Aside from a rocky August, where his ERA jumped to 4.82 for the month, he was a dependable ninth-inning presence. He didn’t allow a run in his final seven games, which included pitching all three games in the final series against the Mets and closing out the division title on October 4th.

For the Braves, the closer role most likely shifts to Rasiel Iglesias, who was lights out from the moment he was acquired from the Angels, allowing just one earned run in 26.1 innings. Jansen’s departure mostly affects the middle innings, now, but the Braves are not lacking in excellent bullpen arms. In addition to Iglesias, the club has A.J. Minter, Dylan Lee, Collin McHugh, Dennis Santana, Nick Anderson, and Kirby Yates on major league deals, as well as Jesse Chavez on a minor league deal.

Tomahawk Take wishes Jansen the best of luck in Boston.