The Red Sox officially announced the signing of former Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen at a press conference at Fenway Park on Tuesday.
After spending his first 12 big-league seasons with the Dodgers, closer Kenley Jansen is going to play for his third team in three years in 2023. Jansen spent just one year with the Braves, his favorite team growing up in Curaçao, and now he’s signed with the Red Sox.
Jansen was officially announced on Tuesday in a press conference at Fenway Park.
According to MLB.com, Jansen brought his entire family to the press conference.
“It’s one of the historic organizations in baseball, and the weight that the name Red Sox carries, it just gets you excited, gets your adrenaline going,” Jansen said.
This was clearly a big deal for Jansen, given that he brought his wife and three young kids to the press conference. One of them charged into the room before the news gathering started and said, “Go Red Sox.”
Jansen turned 35 in September and is just nine saves away from becoming the seventh pitcher in history to reach the 400-save mark. He’s just three saves behind Craig Kimbrel for the active lead, and based on their 2022 seasons, he has a good chance to pass him.
Jansen led the National League with 41 saves last year, while no one on the Red Sox saved more than eight games. Kenley has saved at least 33 games in each of the last eight full seasons, so he’ll bring some much-needed stability to the back of Boston’s bullpen.
Congratulations to Kenley and his family, and best of luck in Boston (except when you play the Dodgers)!
