Going into the weekend, I thought the Braves had at least one more substantial move up their sleeve before the start of the season, but Kenley Jansen never really crossed my mind. The longtime Dodger has been one of the elite closers in the game since he entered the league back in 2010 and most believed that’s where he would stay for a 13th consecutive season.
The addition of Jansen undoubtedly gives the Braves the best relief core in baseball going into the season, which has been a sore spot for this team over the years. Alex Anthopoulos has worked hard to improve it, and it wasn’t just Jansen he had in his sights. According to Ken Rosenthal, the Braves also checked in on Craig Kimbrel before signing Jansen.
Braves Discussed Craig Kimbrel Trade With White Sox https://t.co/IuDVHee1o6 pic.twitter.com/QXIhFjR6Y1
— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) March 20, 2022
Who knows how far the talks got, but I’m thrilled with the way things turned out. As much as I love Kimbrel from his early days with the Braves, Jansen is far more consistent at this point in their respective careers. Anthopoulos also didn’t have to part ways with any more prospects, which is ideal given how many they had to part ways with from the Matt Olson trade.
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