The Red Sox far exceeded expectations and held a 43-37 record. They are a percentage point ahead of the Royals for the final Wild Card spot in the American League. Boston doesn't look like the prototypical tradesman, however that hasn't completely silenced trade speculation about their closeness.
Kenley Jansen got his name in trade rumors going back to the offseason. It looked like Boston wanted to offload his $16MM salary this winter. Nothing came together before the season started. Bob Nightengale of USA Today wrote as recently as late May that the Sox might trade Jansen at the trade deadline. The Athletic's Jim Bowden wrote this morning that some rival managers believe the Red Sox could still look to move the four-time All-Star in a deal that gives Boston help elsewhere on the MLB roster.
Alex Speier of the Boston Globe spoke with Jansen about the trade conversation last night. The right-hander revealed that he is happy in Boston, although he noted that even if he is traded it is beyond his control. “Listen, I can't control my destiny. All I can tell you is, I signed here to win titles. Yes, we are a few pieces away. But I think it's a good football team and I will continue to be a leader,” Jansen told Speier. “If I'm not there, I hope the best for them. But I'm going to focus every day on going out here and helping my young guys get better because I want to see this organization win another championship.“
Jansen has held up his end of the bargain since signing a two-year deal through the 2022-23 offseason. The 15-year veteran turned in a 3.63 ERA in 44 2/3 innings in his first season. He has been excellent this year, working to a 2.30 earned run average in 27 1/3 innings. Jansen finished 15 of 16 save opportunities while striking out 29.1% of the batters he faced. He didn't allow a home run all season.
While he doesn't have the speed or the solid command he displayed in his senior days with the Dodgers, the 36-year-old is still a successful closer. Jansen pointed to those results when Speier asked him if he would be willing to leave the ninth inning if he was traded to another closer.
“My question is what can I do that I can't close? You know what I do best,” he replied. “I cover football games, man. That's what I have to tell you. I am approaching another milestone. I'm closing, trying to reach 500 saves. That is still very important to me. … At the end of the day, if the situation comes, we'll figure it out. But I think I've been doing this for a long time. Also, my body has been tested a lot in the season-fight-wise and playoff-wise as it's close. I don't know how to deal with the mix and match situation. Like, no.“
Jansen is fifth on the all-time hitter leaderboard with 435 saves. You will pass Francisco Rodríguez (437) in fourth place in the next few weeks. (Craig Kimbrel he's just behind him with 433 saves.) If Jansen holds down the ninth-inning job for another season or two, he can only finish behind. Mariano Rivera again Trevor Hoffman when all is said and done.
In the meantime, he'll continue to try to add to that at Fenway Park. WEEI's Rob Bradford tweeted last night that the opposition finds the Sox's price in trade talks “absurd right now.” With more than a month until the deadline and the team still locked in a tie, that's not the only surprise. Even if first-year baseball general manager Craig Breslow and his staff aren't interested in keeping Jansen this season, there's a direct conflict between playing the rest of the year and letting him walk in free agency.
Boston's bullpen has been a strength. They entered Wednesday's game ranked ninth in the majors with a 3.45 ERA from their relief corps. Sox relievers are seventh in innings pitched and 11th with a 23.6% strikeout rate. Rule 5 choose Justin Slate was a nice acquisition, while the Sox got solid work from their lefty duo Cam Booser again Brennan Bernardino. A person of high setting Chris Martin has a 3.70 ERA with 27 strikeouts and just two walks in 24 1/3 innings along the short injury list due to concerns. Greg Weissertacquired from the Yankees in Alex Verdugo trade, contributed a 2.65 mark with impressive strikeout and walk numbers over his 34 frames.
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