(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Henk Seppen & Freek Bouw)
   Kenley Jansen re-signs with Dodgers
Nederlands
 LOS ANGELES, California (USA) -
Kenley Jansen has re-signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
This was reported by several sources on Monday (December 12), but the agreement has not yet been confirmed by the Dodgers.
It is believed that the new contract is for a period of five years, worth 80 million dollar.
...Kenley Jansen during Spring Training...
...this year with the Los Angeles Dodgers...
(© Photo: Freek Bouw/Phrake Photography) |
At the end of the season, the 29-year old righthanded closer became a Free Agent.
With that, he became one of the top-closers on the market with Aroldis Chapman and Mark Melancon.
Several clubs showed their interest in the trio and during the recent Winter Meetings, which concluded on Thursday (December 8), the names of the three closers were named frequently.
The Miami Marlins had made it clear that it wanted to add more depth to its bullpen and the club was in contact with both Chapman and Jansen.
The New York Yankees also were having talks with the two.
The Washington Nationals also had discussions with Jansen, as was Los Angeles Dodgers, the club where he played for his entire Major League-career.
During the recent Winter Meetings in National Harbor (Maryland), both Melancon and Chapman signed a new contract.
On Wednesday, Aroldis Chapman returned to the Yankees, as he agreed to a 5-year, 86 million dollar deal, which is a record for relievers.
The deal exceeded the contract that was signed a few days earlier by Mark Melancon.
The righthander signed for four years and 62 million dollar with the San Franscisco Giants on Monday.
Before that, the record contract for a reliever was a 4-year, 50 million dollar deal (2012-2015) of Jonathan Papelbon by the Philadelphia Phillies.
After having played six years for Cincinnati Reds (2010-2015), Chapman was traded to the New York Yankees in late December 2015.
This year, the lefthander was 3-0 with 20 saves for the Yankees, before he was traded to Chicago Cubs on July 25.
With the Cubs, Chapman was 1-1 with 16 saves and won the World Series, which ended an 108 year drought for the Cubs.
Melancon was 2-2 with 47 saves this year, pitching in 75 games for Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Nationals to whom he was traded on July 30.
Earlier, Melancon played for the New York Yankees, Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox.
During the Winter Meetings its was reported and confirmed that the Marlins had offered a 5-year contract to Kenley Jansen.
And also that the interest was mutual.
Besides offering a multi-million dollar contract, the club that would sign Jansen, also had to give up its first-round Draft pick next season, as the closer had turned down a qualifying offer (17.2 million dollar) from the Dodgers.
At Miami, Jansen would have beenl be re-united with Manager Don Mattingly, who led the Dodgers in 2011-2015.
This season, Jansen earned 47 saves and struckout 104 batters in 68 2/3 inning.
Halfway the season, he pitched in his first All Star Game.
After the season, he was named National League Reliever of the Year.
The Curaçao-born Jansen made his Major League-debut in 2010 and since then, he has pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
From 2012 on, Jansen became the prime closer for the Dodgers.
He earned a then career-high 44 saves in 2014, added 36 last year and improved his personal-high to 47 this season.
Jansen now has 189 saves in his career and with that set a franchise-record with the Dodgers.
He is 19-13 with a 2.20 ERA and has struckout 632 batters in 408 2/3 inning.
Jansen began his career as a catcher, but was transformed into a pitcher during his years in the Minor Leagues.
In 2009, he made his debut in the Netherlands National Team as a catcher during the World Baseball Classic.
Later in the year, he again played for the Orange squad during the World Championship in Europe, but this time as a pitcher.
Jansen also was with the team during the Semi-Final of the World Baseball Classic 2013.
(December 12)
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...Left: Kenley Jansen makes his debut in the Netherlands Team as catcher during the World Baseball Classic in 2009...
...Later in the year, during the World Championship, Jansen is one of the pitchers for the Orange squad...
(© Both Photos: Henk Seppen) |
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