The Braves still need to bolster their pitching staff, with key pieces of the bullpen and rotation leaving in free agency.
They were linked to Ryne Stanek by MLB.com’s Mark Bowman, but the veteran reliever returned to the Mets. That shouldn’t discourage Braves fans, though. Alex Anthopoulos is leaving all doors open.
“We’re not locked into one area,” Anthopoulos said. “If there’s a good starter deal, we’ll do it. Trade, free-agent signing or a bullpen deal, the same way. But we’re not close to anything. We’re still having conversations about both.”
One name that can essentially be crossed off is Kenley Jansen. The future Hall of Famer spent the 2022 campaign in Atlanta as the club’s closer, leading the National League with 41 saves, but the Braves shouldn’t be interested, and he might not be either.
Jansen’s strikeout rate has fallen dramatically. His 28.4% strikeout rate was the second-lowest of his career; he’s just not getting the same amount of whiffs as he used to. Secondly, and more importantly, Kenley Jansen is probably not interested in being a set-up man for the Braves closer Raisel Iglesias.
According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon, Jansen spoke to the Mets, but the long-time closer’s goal of a reaching 500 saves “muddied the match” between the two.
“The Mets talked with free-agent reliever Kenley Jansen’s camp, according to sources briefed on the conversations. But Jansen’s goal of 500 saves plus his likely price tag muddied the match, people familiar with the matter said. Jansen, 37, needs 53 saves for 500, and with the Mets would set up for Edwin Díaz rather than pitch the ninth inning.”
The Braves will not bump Iglesias down because he’s just a flat-out better closer at this point. Perhaps Kenley Jansen reconsiders as he weighs his options, but if he’s dead set on closing next season, the Braves are a highly unlikely match.
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Photographer: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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