Is there a reunion for the Atlanta Braves this winter?
One of the many themes of this remarkable decade in Braves baseball has been reuniting old friends. In 2024, the Braves brought back Adam Duvall, Jorge Soler, and Eddie Rosario as they attempted to rebuild their outfield.
As they seek to enhance their squad through free agency, the Braves may pursue individuals with whom they already have a rapport. This might lead to the re-signing of a future Hall of Fame closer to bolster their bullpen.
On Monday, FanSided’s Mark Powell hypothesized that the Braves would return with Kenley Jansen, who was Atlanta’s closer in 2022 before signing a two-year, $32 million contract with the Boston Red Sox.
“Kenley Jansen’s achievements at this stage of his career are quite impressive. “Jansen is 37 years old and remains one of baseball’s most dependable closers,” Powell said.
“The Braves don’t necessarily need one of those, as Raisel Iglesias is coming off an outstanding season – 34 saves and a 1.95 ERA – but adding Jansen to the back end of the bullpen would charge the battery to its full capacity.”
However, if Jansen wants to sign with the Braves is a very different story. He spent the first 12 seasons of his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers and may consider returning there.
More importantly, he’s only 53 saves away from reaching 500, a feat only two pitchers have ever accomplished, and the Braves are unlikely to provide him regular save opportunities.
Jansen is unlikely to select the Braves because he will undoubtedly want to break through that exclusive barrier. But one never knows what the market for a player will be like until it happens.
