The Braves have a lot of big decisions to make this offseason, most of them revolving around shortstop Dansby Swanson. However, there are a few pieces to make decisions on, some of them coming from the bullpen. The biggest is probably closer Kenley Jansen:
Alex Anthopoulos on Kenley Jansen: "We’d love to have him back."
It seems as if the Braves' plan for the closer role in 2023, as expected, depends on Jansen's free agency and how it turns out. But Anthopoulos seemed to like having Jansen + Raisel Iglesias in the same 'pen.
— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) October 16, 2022
Jansen had some rocky moments in Atlanta, but he stepped up when it counted, especially down the stretch:
https://twitter.com/Justin_FOX5/status/1580384372381077504?s=20&t=cYIGEUMdGhiAvriNl8OPBA
Kenley Jansen earned his 20th career postseason save last night.
He's the 2nd player since saves became official in 1969 to reach 20 career postseason saves (Mariano Rivera, 42). pic.twitter.com/cVaKX2RWMn
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 13, 2022
There are some quirks to the Jansen decision. Major League Baseball is implementing a pitch clock, and Jansen takes his time on the mound. What may be a bigger issue is the emergence of Raisel Iglesias. Iglesias was an absolute demon from the Braves, and they have him under control until 2026 at $16 million per season. That’s already a big chunk of change, more than the Braves were paying former closer Will Smith. Jansen made $16 million this past season as well. I’d be open to bringing Jansen back, you can never have enough good bullpen arms, but the Braves are going to have to be careful committing to him, as with any free agent. Other bullpen pieces like Luke Jackson, Jesse Chavez, and Tyler Matzek may be gone, so the Braves will have to retool their bullpen in some capacity.
Photographer: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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