SF Giants were one of three finalists for Red Sox reliever Kenley Jansen

Once again, the SF Giants fell short of a target on the free-agent market this offseason. This time it was Kenley Jansen, who signed with the Red Sox.

Marc Delucchi | Dec 7, 2022

SF Giants were one of three finalists for Red Sox reliever Kenley Jansen /

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San Francisco Giants

The SF Giants have reportedly once again fallen short of a free-agent target. The Red Sox agreed to a two-year, $32 million contract with closer Kenley Jansen early on Wednesday morning. A three-time All-Star, Jansen was the 28th-best free agent available this offseason. According to a report by David Vassegh of SportsNet LA, the Red Sox, Giants, and Blue Jays were the three finalists to sign the righty. The Giants were previously tied to Jansen by multiple reports earlier in the offseason.

Atlanta closer Kenley Jansen stares at the plate. (2022) — John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports

Jansen, 35, has been one of the best closers in the league since 2012. A converted catcher, Jansen was an excellent contributor in the back of the Dodgers bullpen for the first 12 years of his career, amassing 350 saves over 705 innings pitched with a 2.37 ERA with the Giants biggest rival.

Last offseason, Jansen signed a one-year, $16 million deal with Atlanta. Jansen led the league with 41 saves and recorded a 3.38 ERA with 85 strikeouts and 22 walks in 65 innings. While Jansen may be hoping to remain a closer going forward, his dip in performance would make him a perfect fit in a setup role.

The Giants bullpen had plenty of ugly moments this season but seemed to stabilize in September with Camilo Doval establishing himself as one of the best closers in MLB. While several other Giants relievers had solid seasons, Jansen would have immediately been a stabilizing force. Now, they will have to look elsewhere.

The SF Giants have a lot to do this offseason and adding a proven veteran reliever to help stabilize the bullpen would make sense. Per a report, they targetted former All-Star closer Kenley Jansen, but lost the sweepstakes to the Red Sox.

Published Dec 7, 2022

MARC DELUCCHI

Marc Delucchi (he/they/she) serves as the Managing Editor at Giants Baseball Insider, leading their SF Giants coverage. As a freelance journalist, he has previously covered the San Francisco Giants at Around the Foghorn and McCovey Chronicles. He also currently contributes to Niners Nation, Golden State of Mind, and Baseball Prospectus. He has previously been featured in several other publications, including SFGate, ProFootballRumors, Niners Wire, GrandStand Central, Call to the Pen, and Just Baseball. Over his journalistic career, Marc has conducted investigations into how one prep baseball player lost a college opportunity during the pandemic (Baseball Prospectus) and the rampant mistreatment of players at the University of Hawaii football program under former head coach Todd Graham (SFGate). He has also broken dozens of news stories around professional baseball, primarily around the SF Giants organization, including the draft signing of Kyle Harrison, injuries and promotions to top prospects like Heliot Ramos, and trade details in the Kris Bryant deal. Marc received a Bachelor's degree from Kenyon College with a major in economics and a minor in Spanish. During his time in college, he conducted a summer research project attempting to predict the future minor-league performance of NCAA hitters, worked as a data analyst for the school's Women's basketball team, and worked as a play-by-play announcer/color commentator for the basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. He also worked as an amateur baseball scout with the Collegiate Baseball Scouting Network (later renamed Evolution Metrix), scouting high school and college players for three draft cycles. For tips and inquiries, feel free to reach out to Marc directly on Twitter or via email (delucchimarc@gmail.com).