Red Sox sign Kenley Jansen
- Thread starter RedOctober3829
- Start date
Last year in Atlanta, Jansen was 5-2 with a 3.38 ERA(3.21 FIP) and 41 saves. 85 K's and 22 walks in 64 IP. 1.04 WHIP and 121 ERA+.
This is what I've been calling for. Jansen is the bullpen anchor they've needed so they can slot all of their quality set-up guys into roles they're suited for. Jansen/Martin/Barnes/Schrieber is a really nice back end of the bullpen.
This is what I've been calling for. Jansen is the bullpen anchor they've needed so they can slot all of their quality set-up guys into roles they're suited for. Jansen/Martin/Barnes/Schrieber is a really nice back end of the bullpen.
2021 was the outlier for him. 2022 is more in line with his career numbers.
FIP was roughly the same, 3.08 in 2021 and 3.21 in 2022. Just a regression on expected luck in 2021.
I don't hate the signing.
FIP was roughly the same, 3.08 in 2021 and 3.21 in 2022. Just a regression on expected luck in 2021.
I don't hate the signing.
And puts a nail in the coffin of the idea of having Whitlock in the bullpen as a multi-inning shutdown ace.
Sigh.
Noteworthy also that his only real injury concern is his heart. He hasn't missed much if any time for anything other than his arrhythmia.
Now I'm grumpy. I don't trust this guy in high-lev situations, based merely on my memory. I suppose those who have studied the situation could explain to me why I should relax when he comes into a close game. Rats.
Last year he had virtually no difference in OPS allowed based on leverage, according to B-Ref.
.619 hi-lev, .616 med-lev, .594 low-lev.
Hopefully he is not Gagne, former top class reliever on the decline. We shall see
Its something anyway
Its something anyway
391 career saves, one more than Eckersley. Good pitcher, he is 35, but a 12 K rate is nothing to sneeze at. He definitely helps; seems like a fair deal.
1) I’d rather have him than not, but I share your concern about high leverage situations. 2) I’m also concerned how his stuff plays in the AL East. He has rebounded after a bad 2021, but….who knows.
Still? Rather have the arm given what we had out there.
He only throws low 90s but he is still pretty effective. Not a huge fan but he’s definitely a bullpen improvement.
Don't love it.... but don't hate it... a vet closer at a reasonable price. The issue is... how many opportunities is he going to have if we don't score runs?
Career high leverage stats: 469 games, 1369 batters faced, 502 Ks, 96 BBs, .184/.247/.291/.538, 391 saves.
FWIW, he has four career blown saves in the post-season. Two of which came against the 2018 Red Sox in the World Series. Perhaps that's the source of your mistrust? 20 saves, 1 hold, 4 blown saves, 2.20 ERA, 65.1 IP in 59 career post-season appearances.
Like this deal - legitimately elite durable reliever.
I do wonder what the plan is from here. If they are serious about bringing Xander back and extending Devers, theyre basically right on the luxury tax threshold already - they had approximately $80M coming into the year less $25M on the bullpen guys leaves about $55M - figure it will be at least $40M between Xander and the raise from Devers 1 year deal to get them both done.
Absent going deep into the tax, the roster is going to be a strange place given what else it needs.
Edited to fix brain fart on the math - it should be $55M not $45M.
I do wonder what the plan is from here. If they are serious about bringing Xander back and extending Devers, theyre basically right on the luxury tax threshold already - they had approximately $80M coming into the year less $25M on the bullpen guys leaves about $55M - figure it will be at least $40M between Xander and the raise from Devers 1 year deal to get them both done.
Absent going deep into the tax, the roster is going to be a strange place given what else it needs.
Edited to fix brain fart on the math - it should be $55M not $45M.
This lines up with my memory of him lately... the BB% notably will give us consternation again. But seems a lot of other things check out.
His worst season was a 112 ERA+ and that was in 2018. He's been pretty good the last 4 years (FIP of 3.23). He's not the dude that was in his mid-20s but he's been really good.
And no one relaxes in a close game. Nature of the beast.
Jesus some people are hard to satisfy. This is a nice deal and there's plenty of room to spend on guys like this for the next two years.
At one point last season we were being subjected to Jeurys Familia closing games. I’m more than happy with the Jansen deal.
While bullpen arms are always volatile year to year, Jansen has been extremely consistent. Adding that creates some stability and pushes everyone else down a rung, to the team's benefit:
7th and 8th inning Martin and Schreiber
Then line up Houck, Rodriguez, Barnes, Brasier and a couple of the young guys.
I'd still like the Sox to add a top starter, allowing Whitlock to stay in the bullpen.
7th and 8th inning Martin and Schreiber
Then line up Houck, Rodriguez, Barnes, Brasier and a couple of the young guys.
I'd still like the Sox to add a top starter, allowing Whitlock to stay in the bullpen.
Yup, I caught the brain fart shortly after I posted it. Not a whole lot different given what else the roster needs if they want to compete - theyre going to need to go deep into the tax.
Yeah, I don't get the backlash here. Jansen was really good last year, which was a year completely in line with his career norms. He's 35, I get it, but if he was 27 he wouldn't be signing this deal.
No reason to think he won't be the anchor this bullpen needs in order to push everyone else back a rung into more appropriate slots. Also gives them options in the rotation with Houck and Whitlock.
No reason to think he won't be the anchor this bullpen needs in order to push everyone else back a rung into more appropriate slots. Also gives them options in the rotation with Houck and Whitlock.
I think he could bring a lot. He could be a legit centerpiece for Murphy. He could bring back Kim Ha-Seong straight up. He could bring back Kepler and much more from Minnesota.
He's been good to very good, though obviously some guesswork that his age 35 and 36 seasons will continue to be good. Age 37/38 for Martin coming up too. Certainly some age related risk in these signings.
Would have looked better at 1/16 like the Braves got him for last season. But I guess price of doing business in this market.
Would have looked better at 1/16 like the Braves got him for last season. But I guess price of doing business in this market.
Ugh, I am not a fan of this guy. He's the sort of old Proven Closer that dumb teams overpay for.
We're paying $24 million next year for Jansen and Barnes, yeesh. Add in Martin and Brasier, that's $34 million for right-handed relievers aged 32 or older next year. Are old relief pitchers now the new market inefficiency?
Houck and Schreiber are already here, are in their 20s, make nothing, and I wouldn't be that surprised if either or both are better than the expensive old guys.
Most of it hasn't happened yet, and there's a long way to go, but it looks like my own personal nightmare offseason is still in play:
Xander leaves, we give a multi-year market rate deal for Jansen or Kimbrel, we sign Joey Gallo, we lose a million in international money by signing an expensive guy who isn't that good but got a QO, we trade good prospects for vets who aren't that great, we keep Brasier...
(That's just my own personal nightmare offseason, others will obviously disagree.)
Might need to brace myself for our multi-year contract to Gallo now I guess.
We're paying $24 million next year for Jansen and Barnes, yeesh. Add in Martin and Brasier, that's $34 million for right-handed relievers aged 32 or older next year. Are old relief pitchers now the new market inefficiency?
Houck and Schreiber are already here, are in their 20s, make nothing, and I wouldn't be that surprised if either or both are better than the expensive old guys.
Most of it hasn't happened yet, and there's a long way to go, but it looks like my own personal nightmare offseason is still in play:
Xander leaves, we give a multi-year market rate deal for Jansen or Kimbrel, we sign Joey Gallo, we lose a million in international money by signing an expensive guy who isn't that good but got a QO, we trade good prospects for vets who aren't that great, we keep Brasier...
(That's just my own personal nightmare offseason, others will obviously disagree.)
Might need to brace myself for our multi-year contract to Gallo now I guess.
I don’t know that I see your reasoning. My inference from what we’ve been doing is that we haven’t been in on anyone who got a QO, but have been on basically everyone else.
I'm optimistic about Jansen aging gracefully, particularly with the Statcast sliders posted earlier. His fastball has lot velocity but he's still managed to keep an elite spin rate and K rate. If the guy's already been putting up great numbers with a low velo fastball I don't see why he can't still do that from age 35-37.
Is $16m really the going rate for hi-lev relievers now?
I thought Barnes was overpaid, and Jensen is going to be roughly double his salary.
I thought Barnes was overpaid, and Jensen is going to be roughly double his salary.