TEMPE, Ariz. -- On the morning before the Angels' first pitchers and catchers workout of spring training, the Angels sign veteran closer Kenley Jansen to a one-year $10 million contract.
Jansen produced a 3.29 ERA in 54.2 innings pitched with the Boston Red Sox last season and saved 27 games. He currently sits at 447 career saves, which is good for fourth on the all-time saves list and only 31 saves behind Hall of Famer Lee Smith for third.
The 37-year-old isn't the same pitcher as the elite closer he was in his days with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but Jansen has continued to be successful as he's gotten older. Last season, Jansen saw a career worst in Barrel% with 11.1% and second worst walk rate at 9.2% according to Statcast, but hitters still only hit .196 against him due to the fly balls and strikeouts he produces with his signature cutter.
Another area of Jasnen's game that diminished last season was getting hitters to chase out of the zone with a career-worst 24.9% chase rate. Despite that, Jansen was still able to produce swing and misses at an above average clip (27%) and boast an elite 28.4% strikeout rate, according to Baseball Savant.
In terms of what this means for the Angels in 2025, the addition of Jansen makes it seem as though 24-year-old flame thrower Ben Joyce will not be given the keys to the closer role just yet. Since Jansen is 37 years old, it is possible the Angels could give Joyce some save situations to manage Jansen's workload if need be. Regardless of save opportunities, having a closer of Jansen's stature can be beneficial for Joyce in his development because he can learn from one of the game's best closers in the 2010s.
