With pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training in a little over a week, the Boston Red Sox are far from finished revamping their roster.
According to several rumours, one of the most accomplished players on the Red Sox and their only All-Star from the previous season is reportedly being traded around. It is said that those talks are still going on.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post stated on a Bleacher Report webcast on Tuesday afternoon, “The Red Sox are talking to teams about Kenley Jansen and there are several teams involved right now.”
In his first season in Boston, Jansen recorded a 3.63 ERA in 44 2/3 innings with a 52 to 17 strikeout to walk ratio, a.237 batting average against, and a 1.28 WHIP. Most remarkably, he made 29 out of 33 save attempts.
In the last year of his contract with the Red Sox, the 36-year-old veteran is due $16 million this season. He’s the most sensible trade candidate as a result. Craig Breslow, the chief baseball officer of the Red Sox, seems to agree.
Heyman and others pointed out last week that Jansen will probably end up with the Los Angeles Dodgers. With a robust farm system full of pitching prospects, that would be perfect.
MLB Pipeline lists 13 Dodgers pitchers in their top 30, 11 of whom are not among the top 100.
The Red Sox had better have a bigger move in store if they plan to trade Jansen. The goal of the trade would be to reduce payroll, which would hopefully allow a player like Jordan Montgomery, a left-hander, to sign with the Red Sox.
