We finally know the answer. As Kenley Jansen seems to be in full decline and is owed a large sum of money still, some fans were hoping that Jansen would opt out of his remaining deal. That will not be so. According to Jon Heyman, closer Kenley Jansen will in fact opt in to his remaining 2-year, $38 million deal.
Kenley Jansen will not opt of the $38M and 2 years remaining on his contract #Dodgers
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) October 31, 2019
This is what we all expected considering the large dollar amount remaining on the deal. Jansen has done a ton for the Dodgers organization in his career, but he has declined a bit. Jansen had not posted a Deserved Run Average (DRA) above 2.00 from 2014 to 2017, but in 2018, he posted a 2.56 DRA and in 2019, a 3.51 DRA. His advanced statistics still look really good as he continues to limit hard contact. However, to the naked eye, Jansen is regressing as his cutter continues to cut less and his velocity continues to decline.
Jansen will be in a Dodgers uniform through the 2021 season and be a free agent in the winter of 2022. By then, he most likely will no longer be closer material and could be replaced. All things considered, that could even happen over the next two seasons.
Regardless of Jansen’s presence on the roster, expect the front office to seek out upgrades in the bullpen. The Dodgers were linked to big names as usual over the trade deadline, but with Jansen in decline, this is the offseason where they need to pounce on the market.
