After a surprise run to the postseason last year for the first time since 2014, the Detroit Tigers find themselves just percentage points off the American League Central lead after a 5-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday. But despite their solid 10-8 record, the Tigers will likely need a bullpen upgrade to carry them back to their goal.
Though the Tigers have converted four of five saves opportunities so far, they have needed three pitchers to get it done. Brant Hunter, in his second big league season, has two. Former New York Yankee Tommy Kahnle, a 35-year-old 11-year veteran, picked up another pair. And 27-year-old Beau Brieske has the team’s lone blown save.
If the Tigers hope to improve on their 86-win, wild card season this time around, they will likely need to solidify the closer position. By the time the trade deadline appears on the horizon, there may be a future Hall of Famer in that crucial role available.
Kenley Jansen signed a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Angels for $10 million over the offseason, after two years with the Boston Red Sox in which he converted 56 of 64 save opportunities.
At age 37, after 16 seasons on the big leagues, Jansen said that after two years in Boston when the team failed to qualify for the playoffs, winning just 78 and 81 games the last two seasons, respectively, he wanted to pitch for a title contender this year.
That’s why it was a surprise when he chose to sign with the Angels who, despite their current 9-7 record as of Wednesday, are generally predicted to end up in the 75-win neighborhood.
If the Angels, who had lost three of their last four prior to Wednesday’s matchup with the Texas Rangers, revert to where most baseball experts expect them to be by midseason, they would likely look to shed the remainder of Jansen’s contract.
The Tigers probably would not need to surrender a top prospect to obtain a half-season rental of Jansen, but they could also offer the Curaçao native more save opportunities than the Angels — as well as a shot at the postseason. Jansen, who has four saves in four opportunities for Los Angeles so far, sits with 451 for his career.
He also has another 20 saves in the postseason, in 59 playoff and World Series games. All but two of those games came with the Los Angeles Dodgers. (Jansen pitched for the Atlanta Braves in the 2022 postseason.)
He now needs just 28 to pass Lee Smith for third on the all-time saves list.
