Angels Linked to All-Star Closer on Potential $16 Million Deal

Valentina Martinez | Dec 8, 2024

May 18, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Angels catcher Logan O'Hoppe (14) makes his way in from the bullpen prior to a game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images / Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Angels have addressed holes on the roster from the starting rotation to position players. However, the Halos still have a need in the bullpen.

The acquisitions of pitcher Yusei Kikuchi, catcher Travis d'Arnaud, pitcher Kyle Hendricks, and infielder Kevin Newman cost the Angels a total of $80 million. But a team that was one game shy of losing 100 games, should continue to spend money this winter.

The Angels could add another back-end reliever and the club has already been linked to a particular candidate: right-hander Kenley Jansen. The veteran pitcher recorded 27 saves last season with the Boston Red Sox, posting a 3.29 ERA across 54.2 innings.

The Athletic's Jim Bowden speculates that the two parties could come to an agreement on a one-year, $16 million deal.

"They could use another back-end reliever, and Jansen, a veteran of 15 major-league seasons, continues to perform at a high level," Bowden wrote. "The Angels could smartly deploy the 37-year-old in the first half of the season and then, when they likely fall out of the race, deal him for prospects at the trade deadline to help their rebuild."

Ahead of the Winter Meetings, general manager Perry Minasian implied there were still moves to be made. The Angels landing Jansen doesn't seem so outlandish since Minasian specifically said the bullpen would be a focus for the team this winter.

“What we've done so far, we've been pretty aggressive and we're going to continue to be aggressive,” Minasian said, via MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger. “I wouldn't say anything is off limits. With the year we had, there's definitely areas to get better. Really, every area, whether it's rotation, lineup, bullpen, bench depth. We'll look to tackle and attack all those areas and continue to improve this club.

“I wouldn't nail it down to one need, and I’m not trying to be coy because there are plenty of areas to improve. But we'd love to lengthen out the lineup. That's something we've talked about. Try to add another bat, trying to add more depth on the bench. And trying to add more depth in the bullpen. It starts on the mound. You’re only as good as your rotation, to a certain extent. We’ve been aggressive in attacking that, adding two starters in November, but we'll look to address those other areas, too.”