Red Sox $32 million All-Star expected to be top class for Phillies

On By Littum

A former Boston Red Sox All-Star is one of the most underrated players available in free agency right now.

The free-agent bullpen market has moved extremely slowly, and former Red Sox All-Star Kenley Jansen is still out there on the open market. He had one two-year, $32 million deal with Boston and is now available for any team to grab.

Most of the talk this offseason about the bullpen market has been about Kirby Yates, Tanner Scott and Jeff Hoffman before he signed. Jansen hasn’t been talked about too much despite posting a 3.29 ERA across 54 appearances in 2024. He was an All-Star in 2023 and had a 3.63 ERA overall for the season.

Jansen clearly still has something left in the tank. But where is he going? FanSided’s Michael Fisher soared Philadelphia Phillies as a fit.

“Veteran Kenley Jansen, now 37 years old, still has something left in the tank,” Fisher said. “Phillies fans will remember him as a longtime Los Angeles Dodger and from the one season he spent with the Atlanta Braves in 2022. On his way to becoming a strong Hall of Fame candidate, Jansen just completed his 15th MLB season and closed for the Boston Red Sox…

“Despite not having the high velocity that the Phillies’ front office seems to like, Jansen’s bread-and-butter pitch, the cutter, remains one of the best offerings in the league as he sits at 92.2 mph last season.With 7.9 inches of vertical break and 3.1 inches of horizontal break more than comparable pitchers, the pitch he relied on 84.9 percent of the time in 2024 is still a weapon. Adding Jansen to a bullpen that already has (Jordan Romano) might not be a hard sell as he reportedly wants to join a contender, according to MassLive’s Chris Cotillo , and the Phillies remain one of the best options in that regard.”

Philadelphia is clearly a contender and needs bullpen help. The bullpen imploded in the bullpen and is arguably the biggest reason they were knocked out quickly. Maybe they could make sense for the former Red Sox star.

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