Dodgers: Kenley Jansen Won't Sign with LA Rival
For the third time in his 12-year MLB career, reliever Kenley Jansen is a free agent. Jansen, along with former teammate Clayton Kershaw, are both unable to sign new deals with any clubs due to the ongoing MLB lockout.
It was reported that the Dodgers were working towards a deal to retain Jansen, but it did not come to fruition before the players were locked out on December 1st. In addition to the Dodgers, there’s been several other teams with interest in Kenley.
That being said, one longtime Dodgers rival is not in the mix for Jansen despite needing bullpen health.
Derrick Goold from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the Cardinals are not active participants in the Jansen market.
"I have not been able to connect the Cardinals to Jansen. Before the lockout began, the Cardinals spoke with just about every agent about just about every reliever, so at some point they would have explored what Jansen is looking for — if that’s just to back to the Dodgers, or something else from another team.”
Goold’s larger point was that the Cardinals would love to sign Jansen, but likely can’t afford him.
“Jansen, meanwhile, could land a three-year deal worth as much as $40 million, perhaps even more, and there is no way the Cardinals would be able to afford that.”
Last season, Kenley had his best season since his 2017. He compiled 38 saves and posted a 2.22 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP. He did not blow a save opportunity in the final two months of the 2021 season.
The 34-year-old Jansen certainly has some gas in the tank and could command a multi-year, $40M-plus contract this offseason. Whether or not that contracts with the Los Angeles Dodgers is yet to be determined.
