The Blue Jays are nearing a two-year deal with reliever Casey Janssen that includes a third-year option, tweets Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca. As the Blue Jays are a file and trial team, a multiyear deal was the only way to the impending arbitration hearing. Janssen and the Jays had a $400K spread, with $2.2MM and $1.8MM submissions, respectively. The two-year deal would buy out one free agent year with an option on a second.
Janssen, 30, posted a 2.26 ERA, 8.6 K/9, 2.3 BB/9, 0.32 HR/9, and 47.3% groundball rate in 55 2/3 innings last year. He earned $1.095MM in 2011, his second arbitration year. Janssen's extension would mark the seventh in the career of Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos, according to our transaction tracker.
Casey Janssen is an extremely underrated relief pitcher.
Pitching to a tune of 6-0 with 2.26ERA to go with 2.3 BB/9 and 8.6 SO/9 is no easy job.
Good to see he is being locked up.
Awesome. I was hoping the Jays would keep him around for a couple more years and not let him walk like they’ve done with numerous other relievers. Very solid 7th inning guy and potential set-up guy should CoCo falter.
Big contract for a guy who was actually sent down (no fault of his) earlier in 2011….
How do you know how big the contract is….
My guess is somewhere around 2/6MM with a 4.5M option
Nothing near breaking the bank
I doubt it’ll be anywhere close to that high, since the arb figures were around 2M from each side. I’m guessing 2M, 2.3M and 2.5 for the option year.
Called it almost perfectly ;)
You were right. I was wrong.
Usually when I make guesses about money, I guess too high; like when I guess how much dough I have left in my bank account.
As penance, I will refrain from making guesses of any kind until after the All-Star break.
No big deal. Casey has always exceled decently while in the Majors. he’s had some shaky games here and there, even started for us a couple times years ago. He did amazing the best pitcher in our bullpen by far last year. He would of been a sweet 8th inning guy but they already said 7th inning is his.
I’m glad to see Janssen found his niche as a reliever versus a starter. He did really well last year in the Jays pen, and hopefully he finds similar success in the coming years.
agreed and it looks like Litsch is following his lead…
Glad to see it getting done. I think Janssen is just hitting his stride and will likely surpass Cordero on the depth chart by the end of the season and be our set-up guy.