Old friends in new places?
The Boston Red Sox and their lone 2023 All-Star seem destined to say their goodbyes.
Overall, Kenley Jansen’s two-year stint with the Red Sox was productive. In addition to being named an All-Star, Jansen saved 56 of 64 shots while playing for Boston. He now has 447 career saves, which ranks him fourth all-time in Major League Baseball.
However, Jansen’s season ended in controversy when he left the Red Sox a week early as the team fell out of playoff contention. It may have been all for naught, but it did indicate that his time with Boston was coming to an end.
Jansen is still a very prolific reliever, but at age 37, he will most likely only pitch for a few more seasons. Where will he travel in search of Save 500?
In a recent YouTube video, content creator Robbie Hyde projected that Jansen will sign with the Philadelphia Phillies, whose two top relievers from last season are both now free agents.
“I know everyone thinks Jansen’s going to head back home to the Dodgers, but they already have a few good options there with Michael Kopech, Blake Treinen, and Evan Phillips,” Hyde told the crowd.
“At this point in his career, I think he wants to go to a winner, and with the Phillies potentially losing both Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estévez, they could use a veteran guy at the back end of the bullpen, someone they can rely on.”
The Phillies won 95 games last season and should be in contention for the National League pennant once again. Despite signing former Toronto Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano, Jansen might become the team’s full-time closer.
After he signed a two-year, $32 million contract with the Red Sox, there’s a chance Jansen could either get one or two years this time around. That is likely to depend on his preferences as his career nears its end, which will also influence whether or not the Phillies are a good fit.
