Trade rumors continue to swirl around Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen
Despite the Red Sox’ 9-4 loss to the Blue Jays on Tuesday night at Fenway Park, Boston holds the final American League Wild Card spot, leading the Royals by a half game.
With the Red Sox odds of making the playoffs greatly improving with their play during the month of June, trade rumors will begin to swirl on who they could add or possibly subtract.
According to the Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, speculation continues to run rampant that the Red Sox might still trade All-Star closer Kenley Jansen.
Despite the constant trade rumors, Jansen prefers to stay with the Red Sox, because he wants to win in Boston.
“Listen, I can’t control my destiny. What I can tell you is, I signed here to win championships. Yes, we are a few pieces away. But I think it’s a great ball club, and I’m going to continue to be a leader,” said Jansen. “If I’m not here, I hope the best for them. But I will focus every single day on coming out here and helping my young guys to be better because I want to see this organization win another championship.
“Coming here, I’ve learned a lot. Seeing the people here around the city tells me everything. They get it. You just have to be accountable, be honest with them, and they totally get it. It’s a great sports town, and I think the minute you win a championship, they will have your back. Win a ring, win a championship, and you are it to them. That’s what I’m learning from this city.”
Even though Jansen has seemingly been the subject of consistent trade rumors since this offseason, the 36-year-old has been brilliant for Boston this season. In 27 appearances, he has a 2.30 ERA with a 29 percent strikeout rate and a 10 percent walk rate, per FanGraphs. He’s converted 15 of 16 save opportunities.
“He’s a dominant closer, has been for a long time, and understands what his body can give him on a daily basis,” said pitching coach Andrew Bailey. “He’s got very consistent routines. The way he attacks his readiness on the pockets of time where he doesn’t touch games has been tremendous to watch. He’s able to tell us when he’s good to go and when he’s not, and we listen to him as best we can.”
Reportedly, the asking price for Jansen is incredibly high, which makes sense with the Red Sox in the playoff hunt and not quite yet ready to make a decision on how they’ll address the roster in the coming weeks. Veteran closer Liam Hendriks is set to throw his first bullpen later this week. It’ll be the first time he’s thrown one since undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Hendriks expects to be back after the trade deadline, while the Red Sox would be happy if he’d be able to offer any innings this season. Jansen will become a free agent in the winter, and the Sox reportedly aren’t going to entertain bringing back their current closer next season.
“I want to see this organization win again. That’s what I can tell you,” said Jansen. “But I can’t control my destiny.”
