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The Los Angeles Angels have made an attention-grabbing move on Tuesday morning, with Jon Heyman of the New York Post reporting that the Halos have landed veteran closer Kenley Jansen in MLB free agency.
“Breaking: Kenley Jansen to the Angels,” Heyman shared on X (formerly Twitter).
Added Heyman in a follow-up post on the social media platform: “Big move for Angels. Kenley is 4th alltime with 447 saves, 31 behind Hall of Famer Lee Smith.”
Jansen's agreed contract with the Halos is reportedly a one-year deal worth $10 million, per MLB.com's Mark Feinsand.
The 37-year-old Jansen most recently pitched for the Boston Red Sox with whom he spent the last two MLB seasons. The Angels are also going to be Jansen's fourth team since he made his debut in the big leagues in 2010.
Jansen had a decent stint with the Red Sox, highlighted by his All-Star nod in the 2023 season. During his time in Beantown, Jansen appeared in 105 games, picking up a total of 56 saves while collecting a 3.44 ERA, 1.158 WHIP and 3.30 FIP. He also had a 128 ERA+ with the Red Sox.
Jansen’s best days are still those with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He played his first 12 seasons in MLB with the Dodgers, earning three All-Star nods along the way while racking up 350 saves to go along with an excellent 2.37 ERA and a 164 ERA+ along with a 2.37 FIP and 0.928 WHIP through 701 appearances on the mound.
Between his stint with the Dodgers and the Red Sox, there was his one-year stop with the Atlanta Braves in 2022, during which he led the National League with 41 saves – just a save short of MLB leader Emmanuel Clase of the Cleveland Guardians.
Jansen joins an Angels side that hasn't reached the playoffs since 2014. His addition isn't likely to move the needle very much for Los Angeles, but his experience should provide the Angels' bullpen a boost.
Los Angeles, which finished the 2024 MLB campaign fifth in its division with just a 63-99 record, also features a relatively inexperienced bullpen composed of the likes of Ben Joyce, Brock Burke, Ryan Zeferjahn and Hans Crouse. In the 2024 regular season, the Angels only had 35 saves, with Joyce pacing the team with four.
