Dodgers Could Reunite With Closer Kenley Jansen in Deadline Homecoming
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
The Los Angeles Dodgers likely know they need to add to the bullpen before the trade deadline passes on Thursday.
While the team has been connected to Jhoan Duran, Ryan Helsley, and Emmanuel Clase, there's one reliever that has been forgotten about: long-time Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen. Jansen previously admitted he thought he would wear Dodger Blue for the rest of his career.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 18: Kenley Jansen #74 of the Los Angeles Angels throws a pitch in the ninth inning during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on July 18, 2025...
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 18: Kenley Jansen #74 of the Los Angeles Angels throws a pitch in the ninth inning during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on July 18, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. More"I thought I would play my whole career with the Dodgers," Jansen told Bill Shailkin of the LA Times.
Now, Shailkin believes the Dodgers should pursue Jansen at the trade deadline.
"The Dodgers are urgently shopping for right-handed relievers," wrote Shailkin. "In Anaheim, Jansen is enjoying a season that by some measures is his best since 2021, his last season with the Dodgers. ... They need pitching depth, and it would be organizational malpractice not to get some by trading their pending free agents, Jansen included."
In 40 games this season, Jansen has recorded 17 saves en route to posting a 3.19 ERA for the Angels. On a better team like the Dodgers, his ERA should drop.
However, questions are arising about whether Jansen would be willing to pitch outside of the ninth inning.
"At that point, it's just about getting rings," Jansen told Shailkibn. "My goal is to win. You play for that, always. I understand there is a milestone I am close to. But, at the end of the day, it's what you play for. You play to win. You play to win a World Series. If I have to go throw the sixth, seventh, eighth, I would do it. I'm a professional. I would do what I do best, and that is pitch."
Jansen would be a strong addition to the back of the Dodgers' bullpen if he's willing to pitch outside of the ninth inning. However, if Tanner Scott continues to struggle, the Dodgers could consider moving Jansen back to the closer role at Dodger Stadium if they acquire him.
More MLB: Phillies Enter Trade Deadline Race for All-Star Slugger Eugenio Suárez
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