Ravine Fiends Roundtable: Is 5 Years, $80M+ Too Much for Kenley Jansen?
After seeing Mark Melancon set the record for relievers with his four-year, $62 million deal, the Los Angeles Dodgers may have shaken their head in terms of what that meant for the return of Kenley Jansen. Then Aroldis Chapman received a five-year, $86 million deal from the New York Yankees and the bar was once again raised.
Shortly after that, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reported that the Miami Marlins were looking to make Jansen a rich man:
Sources: The Marlins have made a monster offer for Kenley Jansen -- almost at the level of Aroldis Chapman. Five years, more than $80M.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 8, 2016
This deal appears out of the Dodgers' preferred years and/or cost; however, they are still being mentioned as one of three teams (along with the Washington Nationals) in the running for the closer.
If the reported 5/$80M deal is the minimum to bring the All-Star closer back, is it worth it?
Alex Campos (@ac5381)
I’ve been mentally preparing myself to see Jansen on another team, and the 5/$80M rumor going around doesn’t change that one bit. I don’t see the Dodgers offering him that and I don’t really think they should. Last year, another team swooped in and signed Zack Greinke to an irresponsibly large contract. That’s likely to happen again with Jansen, and it’s hard to blame the front office for balking at that number.
The Dodgers have a number of holes to fill (third base, second base, multiple bullpen spots), and that kind of money for 70+ innings seems a bit too steep. That money would be much better used bringing Justin Turner back, taking on money in a trade for a 2B (Ian Kinsler/Brian Dozier/Josh Harrison) and trading for a closer.
The White Sox are in the middle of a firesale, and David Robertson is a very good closer. He had a down year this season and still put together solid numbers, and with two years and $25 million left on his contract, he won’t be too much of a burden.
My dream scenario would be a trade that brought Logan Forsythe and Alex Colomé to LA. Forsythe locks down second base, and Colomé shores up the bullpen. In his first full season as a closer, the right-hander converted 37 out of 40 save opportunities and posted a 1.91 ERA/2.92 FIP pitching in the AL East. He’ll be 28 at the end of the month and won’t be arbitration-eligible until 2018, so he’d be a phenomenal long-term piece. Of course, that means the price to acquire him would be high, but the Dodgers have the farm to get it done.
I won’t be mad if the Dodgers spend a stupid amount of money to bring Jansen back. He’s arguably the best closer in the game and has done so much for the Dodgers in his career. However, I can’t blame the front office if they choose not to offer him an almost-record-setting contract for a closer.
Frank Martinez (@FrankTalkLA)
Do you remember Little League? Do you recall your first base hit, stolen base or first time making the good defensive play? Further, do you remember all those moments allowing your imagination to take to the major leagues and hitting the game-winning homerun or pitching a no-hitter? I certainly do. I daydreamed of all possible heroic scenarios with exception of one: being a closer on an MLB pitching staff.
As a Dodgers fan, not even the meteoric rise of Eric Gagné ever made me dream of being a closer. That’s because as with Gagné, almost every relief pitcher is simply a failed starter. That means, even the most dominant relief pitcher became one because he was not good enough at something else.
This brings us to the Dodgers and free agent pitcher Kenley Jansen. The big right-hander is an exception to the rule because he was groomed to be a closer, after failing to be a catcher. That said, I would not match the reported five-year, $80+ million offer he has from the Miami Marlins. Closers are made, not born. The Dodgers can find a failed starter, and make another closer. The money is most wisely spent elsewhere.
Vincent Samperio (@VinceSamperio)
Let me start this off by saying that I am a fan of Kenley Jansen. The converted catcher transformed himself into one of, if not the best closer in the National League, and from a personal standpoint, he's a great teammate and a pleasure to talk to.
However, I am one that believes that a bullpen can be built up with players that aren't All-Stars (much like the Dodgers have done thus far). Take a look at the current bullpen and Jansen is the only All-Star reliever, and the team had one of the best bullpens in MLB last season.
A five-year deal for $80+ million is a bit too much for a reliever that throws about 70+ innings per season, but I would pull the trigger on a deal. The $16 million AAV is not for the 70+ innings Jansen would pitch in the regular season but it would be for the innings he throws in the postseason. We saw Jansen, Chapman and Andrew Miller play major roles in their team's respective postseason runs.
With the contracts of Carl Crawford, Andre Ethier, Adrian Gonzalez, Scott Kazmir and Brandon McCarthy all coming off the books in the next two years, the Dodgers payroll will naturally drop, especially due to the number of young, cheap players in prominent roles.
It may be a reckless decision to give a reliever that much money, but hey, let's get weird.
