The Boston Red Sox were fortunate to have Kenley Jansen as their closer for the past two seasons. Although Jansen is no longer with the team, he provided the stability that the closer role desperately needed.

In 2021, Matt Barnes served as the closer and earned All-Star honors, but he struggled afterward, leading Boston to try various pitchers without success. Jansen fulfilled all expectations over the past two years. Despite receiving negative press during the offseason for leaving the team a few days before the 2024 regular season ended, it seems the criticism was unjust.

On the “Baseball Isn’t Boring” podcast with WEEI’s Rob Bradford, Jansen explained that he had to leave because his mother was ill. He shared, “This offseason has been challenging for me.

I couldn’t ignore it; I had to rush to Curaçao before the season concluded because my mom wasn’t doing well. Fortunately, she’s still alive, but options are limited.

She’s holding on and staying strong, and I’m grateful for that. I ended up spending about three months in Curaçao this offseason.” Above all, we hope Jansen’s mother is doing better, and wish him success in his upcoming season with Los Angeles.