The Toronto Blue Jays may want to prioritize reinforcing their bullpen for the 2025 season. Would another closer make sense?  Right-hander Kenley Jansen is on the market and looking for a landing spot for next season and could fit into the Jays’ future plans.

Toronto has been out without their normal closer since May 31st, 2024.  Right-hander Jordan Romano was placed on the 60-day injured list, leading to surgery for his right elbow. Veteran reliever Chad Green found himself closing games late in the season and heading into next season, there is a scenario where either Romano or Green are closing games.

Romano appears to be the Blue Jays’ long-term closer option when comparing the two relievers. He saved eight games this season between his two IL stints. Green took the wheel as the Jays’ late-game stopper when Romano was on the shelf, saving 17 games for Toronto.

In 2023, Romano recorded 36 saves through 40 opportunities and posted a 2.90 ERA. With the possibility of either losing a closer due to injury, with Green having his own checkered injury history, or employing a severely underperforming reliever in the role, having another option to turn to late in the game is a wise idea for the Blue Jays. Kenley Jansen fits that description.

Jansen spent the 2024 season with the Boston Red Sox. The right-hander held a .667 win-loss percentage with a 4-2 record over 54 2/3 innings. He appeared in 54 games and finished 38 of those, compiling 27 saves.

This season Jansen faced 218 batters, striking out 62 and walking 20; his command and effectiveness were on point. At 37 years of age, Jansen averaged his max pitching velocities between 93-95 mph on his sinker and cutter. He also works in a slider on occasion as well.

Jansen recorded a 28.4% strikeout rate with only a 9.2% walk rate. Two of his three options held put-away percentage values of 20% and above. Cumulatively, his performances resulted in a 30.4% ground-out rate and a 36.3% fly-out rate. His pitch options are not exactly blow-away type offerings, but they do generate swings and weak rollover contact. Jansen also recorded a 37% hard-hit percentage, which still sits below the league average of 38.8%.

Jansen, at 37 years old, is still effective in the innings that determine the game on the pitching side. He did finish the season on the IL with a shoulder injury but should be good to go to start next season.

Jansen’s role as a closer held weight this season. He saved 27 games and was unsuccessful in only four save situations while also recording four wins. The right-hander has an 87.1% save percentage and is ranked 12th of the 30 closers this season.

The Blue Jays do have a closer and are awaiting his return next season. Regardless, picking up a veteran hurler like Jansen would strengthen the back half of the bullpen and would add reinforcements toward a save situation should injuries or poor performance hit some of the go-to arms already employed in the Jays’ bullpen.

Jansen would work in tandem with Romano in a set-up role and in a load management capacity to save games. Green would also be in that trio-equation. This would benefit Romano from a workload standpoint and push the double-option closer route, which would generate more situational options. He’s not the same reliever that he was in earlier in his career but he is still effective out of the bullpen.

Jansen spent two seasons with the Red Sox worth $32 million. Toronto could offer Jansen a two-year deal significantly less than that because his workload would be minimized and shared with another closer option. That is if Jansen is willing to work potentially outside of the closer’s role if Toronto decides to keep Romano or Green in there.

Best case scenario, the Blue Jays give him a one-year deal with an option for 2026. This would test the waters for both parties in this case.