TEMPE, Ariz. -- The Angels have a new closer.
Veteran Kenley Jansen passed his physical and joined the Angels for workouts on Saturday, when his one-year, $10 million deal became official. Jansen, 37, gives the Angels an experienced closer, and the signing allows flamethrower Ben Joyce to slide into a setup role after his impressive rookie season. Jansen is the first notable addition to the bullpen this offseason for the club, and he said he’s excited to return to the region after pitching for the Dodgers from 2010-21.
“First off, it's great just being back in Southern California, and [the Angels] got a young team,” Jansen said. “It's great for me to just be here and give my experience and support and help turn things around. And especially for me to be home and around my kids, it means a lot.”
Jansen is the active leader in pitching appearances (871) and saves (447), and he's still quite capable of slamming the door on opponents in the ninth inning. He notched 27 saves in 31 opportunities for the Red Sox in 2024 and recorded 62 strikeouts in 54 2/3 innings, though he was sidelined by right shoulder inflammation late in the season. In addition, his 3.29 ERA was his lowest since 2021.
He said it’s one of his goals to eventually reach 500 career saves, a mark only reached by Hall of Famers Mariano Rivera (652) and Trevor Hoffman (601).
“I’m 53 away, and as a kid growing up in Curacao, I never thought I'm going to live in this beautiful country and to play this game that I dream of,” Jansen said. “To me, it’s very special. So if I have the chance and the health, why not?”
Jansen's calling card is his cutter, which remains a highly effective pitch. The cutter, which averaged about 92.2 mph this past season, held opponents to a .215 average and produced a whiff rate of 28.2%. Overall, the four-time All-Star held opponents to a .208 expected batting average, which ranked in the 86th percentile. Meanwhile, his 28.4% strikeout rate ranked in the 84th percentile.
Jansen has recorded 25 or more saves in 12 straight full seasons, including four seasons with 40-plus. He has a career save percentage of 88.2. Before the shoulder inflammation that ended his 2024 season, Jansen allowed no runs and just one hit in his last six appearances. He'll head into 2025 with a career 2.57 ERA and 1,221 strikeouts in 868 1/3 innings.
“He brings experience, know-how and never gets shaken out there,” manager Ron Washington said. “And I think he's going to do a good job of helping our young kids with their preparation and mental status.”
Jansen has a career 2.20 ERA with 94 strikeouts over 65 1/3 innings in the postseason. But he’s also dealt with health issues; he was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat in 2011 and underwent a heart ablation procedure after the ’18 season. He last went on the injured list with an irregular heartbeat in 2022.
“I know I have a special heart, but the thing is I’m not going to let that stop me from playing this game that I love,” Jansen said. “I love this game, and I want to do it for a little bit more. And I got to do the things to stay healthy and ensure that part is as calm as it can get.”
After being aggressive early in the offseason, the Angels have been active again recently. They signed veteran infielders Tim Anderson and J.D. Davis to Minor League deals, while also signing third baseman Yoán Moncada to a one-year deal worth $5 million on Saturday.
Joyce, 24, said he’s excited about the addition of Jansen and is comfortable sliding into a setup role. He said he learned a lot from veteran Carlos Estévez last year and is looking forward to soaking up what he can from Jansen.
“It's exciting,” Joyce said. “As a closer, that's where you want to be in your career, having almost 500 saves. It’s going to be awesome to learn from him and pick his brain every day. I'm just going to try to take as much as I can from him. At the end of the day, I just want to win, and I think he’s going to give us a great chance.”