Angels Pitched As Option To Sign Ex-Red Sox Projected $16M All-Star

The former Red Sox star is looking for his next opportunity

Aug 1, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a Los Angeles Angels hat and glove on the bench against the Atlanta Braves in the eighth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox made the right move by brining four-time All-Star closer Kenley Jansen to town.

Boston's bullpen struggled overall in 2024, but Jansen wasn't the issue. He logged a 3.29 ERA across 54 appearances while tallying 27 saves. Jansen came to Boston on a two-year deal ahead of the 2023 season and provided Boston with a dependable closer it had been desperately looking for.

Even with a plethora of trade rumors about him over the two years, he was still professional and logged a 3.44 overall ERA across 105 total appearances.

Now that his contract is up, he is a free agent, and it doesn't seem likely that he will return. The Athletic's Jim Bowden made a list of potential fits for each team in free agency and suggested that the Los Angeles Angels should sign Jansen to a projected $16 million deal.

"Los Angeles Angels — Kenley Jansen, RHP (1 year, $16 million)," Bowden said. "The Angels have already dropped $80 million this offseason on four free agents (Yusei Kikuchi, Travis d’Arnaud, Kyle Hendricks, Kevin Newman) and they might as well keep going to improve a team that lost 99 games last season.

"They could use another back-end reliever, and Jansen, a veteran of 15 major-league seasons, continues to perform at a high level. He had 27 saves last season with the Red Sox, posting a 3.29 ERA over 54 2/3 innings. 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."

This is just a suggestion rather than a report, but it does make a lot of sense. Los Angeles has been one of the most aggressive teams in baseball this offseason. Could they take a chance on one of the best closers in baseball history?

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