Dodgers: If Kenley Jansen is Ready to Leave LA, Who Should Be the Closer in 2022?
Kenley Jansen spent much of his 2021 season proving his doubters wrong. After blowing three consecutive saves following the All-Star break, ‘The Big Fella’ posted a 0.96 ERA for the remainder of the season and went 17-17 in save opportunities. Jansen was especially lights-out in the postseason, where he didn’t allow a run in 7 innings of work with 14 strikeouts to just 1 walk.
At 34 years old, the three-time All-Star and two-time NL Reliever of the Year has completely reinvented himself with a dynamic new pitch mix that has helped him keep hitters off-balance without having to rely solely on his cutter as he did for so many years.
We discuss Kenley Jansen’s impending free agency, if the Dodgers should re-sign him and how much it will cost to keep him in blue. Notably, Dodgers beat reporter Bill Plunkett appeared on MLB Network’s High Heat with Chris Russo and said that he thinks that Kenley Jansen is ready to leave LA and that the Dodgers all-time saves leader hasn’t forgotten that the team went with Julio Urias instead of him to close out the 2020 World Series. We react to Plunkett’s take on Jansen and how much the Dodgers using Urias over him in the 2020 postseason will ultimately impact if Kenley Jansen and the Dodgers will part ways this offseason.
Finally, we look ahead to next season and discuss who will take over as LA’s closer if Jansen signs elsewhere. Plus, Dodgers fans voice their opinions on who they want to see be LA’s closer next year and if the team should try to re-sign Kenley Jansen.
WATCH
The vote on Twitter, as you can see ended up extremely split. Ultimately, Blake Treinen beat out Kenley by half of a percent of the vote, showing that even the fan base may be ready to move on to the next chapter at the end of ballgames.
Who should be the closer for the #Dodgers next year?
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) October 30, 2021
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Either Treinen or Bazooka.
Kenley deserves a solid offer. He has an idea, going forward, of what is in store for him. And he has already embraced it. You could tell from his demeanor that he is OK not having 100% of the pressure on saves like he had in the past. 2 games then 1 off. And not as many more than one inning stints. Those writers that think he is moving on are delusional. He is STILL one of the top closer’s in the NL. And a Dodger.
Wayne, I’d be more than happy to have him back under the right terms.
Time to move on from Kenley. Treinen is a much better choice. The bullpen is in great shape. Save Kenley’s salary and apply it to the more valuable free agents. Also, while they are at it, the Dodgers should keep CT3, put him at 2nd base (if Seager does not stay around), and trade luckless Lux. Trade luckless Lux regardless of what happens with the other free agents. He is a competent 2nd baseman, average as a backup SS, terrible at 3rd, and a disaster in the outfield. Dropped balls, balls rolling between his legs, running into both Cody (displaced rib) and Taylor (injured neck when Lux hit him in the face with his glove) Oh, I forgot, Roberts said it was a Taylor made injury. Right, just like Lux hurt his arm the same day, from a batting machine. No more excuses for Lux. Send him on his way. A good batting avg. for 17 days does not save his entire season long performance.
I”d be fine with it.
Yes, I agree. Adios
Lux. He’s been given enough chances. I would like to see Jenley stay but if his ego is too bruised then bye. G
Graterol should be a starter ir a closer. Scherzer is asking a lot if $$$$ for a dead arm.
Please resign Chris Taylor
We need him back.
Anyone with “stuff” like Jansen is invaluable! We saw it all year. He can still get it done. Don’t overpay but definitely offer him a competitive deal.
Treinen. Graterol.
One could easily argue the bullpen got us as far as it did. Jansen a big part of it….
I really can”t imagine why Jansen would want to come back. Last year, the Dodgers left him on the bench in the big moments and this year the Dodger fans booed him. That he came back and pitched extremely well for most of this season is a testament to why the Dodgers could still use him, but most likely some other team will offer him more than the Dodgers will and he’ll take it, that’s baseball.
While that may be true, the Dodger’s FIRST PRIORITY is to re-sign CT3. No ifs, ands, or buts.
Kenley is as good as gone. Treinen or Knebel will be the closer.
The dodgers also have Kahnle that they got from the yankees and also Ferguson coming back. Kenley may have a year or 2 left in him to be a good 8th inning set up man.. Your right, Trienen is the closer, put bazooka in the 8th set up. the biggest surprise of all this year was Spicoli Bickford. The kid has a rubber arm….
Love Spicoli, need to come up with a good nickname for Bruihl too. He was impressive for a guy with no velo!
Fergie and Kahnle haven’t pitched in a while.
Yep, perfect Friedman dumpster material. Drrrrrrrr can burn em up in Spring training…
I wasn’t always excited to see Treinen come in to the game. It seems he was lights out three out of four times, and on that fourth time he served up home runs and extra basis. We would need more consistency from him were he to become the closer.
My choice would be Brusdar, but he might have some maturity issues to resolve. You might recall that he arrived late last year because someone, either the front office or Brusdar himself, didn’t have his paperwork in order to leave Venezuela. He didn’t really get it going until October, where he became lights out.
If Brusdar can arrive in camp on time and bring his October game to April, then I’m all for his becoming the closer. Treinen would be great as his setup.
The Dodgers better have 2 guys for each spot come next season. The way Drrrrrrr Burns up guys, we need 2 8th inning guys and 2 closers. However that happens is on the FO….
Treinen or Treinen
Resign Kike, Roberts would make a SP out of him. Btw, isn’t great to see Joc hit timely hits?? He sure is missed, but I hope this is biting Friedman and co, where the sun don’t shine.