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Marlins Targeting Kenley Jansen

By Steve Adams | November 17, 2016 at 11:13am CDT

The Marlins’ top target in free agency is not a starting pitcher, but rather right-hander Kenley Jansen, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports. Recognizing the difficulty they’ll face in building out a rotation that is still reeling from the shocking death of Jose Fernandez — there are few options in free agency and Miami’s woeful farm system makes trades difficult — Miami could instead look to build out a “super pen” to help shorten games and prevent leads from escaping when their starters provide them. ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick wrote earlier this week that with few rotation options available to them, the Marlins could look to upgrade the back of the bullpen instead.

Obviously, the Marlins aren’t exactly frequent shoppers at the very top of the free-agent market, and the team’s perennially low payroll is a significant strike against their chances at landing Jansen this winter. However, Miami did spend $80MM to add left-hander Wei-Yin Chen last offseason, and while the results of that deal (in year one, anyway) weren’t what the team had hoped, their willingness to spend at that level was a departure from their most recent free-agent ventures. Jansen could very well match or exceed that $80MM sum — we at MLBTR pegged him for a five-year, $85MM deal this winter — but with Miami only one year removed from spending that type of money and forfeiting a draft pick to do so, it’s tough to definitively rule out an earnest pursuit.

Jansen, as Heyman notes, is plenty familiar with Miami skipper Don Mattingly from the pair’s days together in Los Angeles, and Miami’s proximity to his native Curacao could be another minor point in the Marlins’ favor. There’s probably some allure based on those factors, though it seems unlikely that Jansen would concede any type of significant discount based on familiarity or geography.

Miami already has a the makings of a terrific bullpen in 2017, with right-handers A.J. Ramos, Kyle Barraclough and David Phelps all having contributed ERAs of 2.85 or better to go along with impressive K/9 rates (14.0 for Barraclough, 11.8 for Phelps and 10.3 for Ramos). Phelps, of course, could conceivably move back into the rotation out of necessity, though the Marlins’ plans for him are seemingly undetermined at this point. Adding Jansen and his lifetime 2.20 ERA and 13.9 K/9 to that group, with or without Phelps, would make for an imposing group to finish out games for the Marlins, though it remains to be seen whether they’ll be comfortable spending at the assuredly record rate it’ll take to land Jansen.

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Miami Marlins Kenley Jansen

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View Comments (45)
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45 Comments

  1. ChiSoxCity

    9 years ago

    What good is a high priced closer to a team with a sketchy rotation?

    Reply
    • PBABowler27

      9 years ago

      Zach Britton.

      Reply
      • bronxbombers

        9 years ago

        Nice

        Reply
        • goldglover444

          9 years ago

          Niiiccceee

          Reply
      • DannyQ3913

        9 years ago

        Boom!

        Reply
    • bigjonliljon

      9 years ago

      Lol. Never going to happen

      Reply
      • BlueSkyLA

        9 years ago

        Grienke signing with the low-spending D’Backs was never going to happen either.

        Reply
    • RunDMC

      9 years ago

      2015 KC Royals (world champions) had a regular season starter ERA of 4.34 (22 of 30 MLB), while a reliever ERA of 2.72 (2 of 30 MLB).

      2016 MIA Marlins had a starter ERA of 4.32 (12 of 30) with Jose Fernandez, while a reliever ERA of 3.63 ERA (14 of 30).

      By the article I don’t think Jansen would be the only piece, but if they built a top-5 to top-10 bullpen, that could immensely help their pitching for presumably at a cheaper price than the market rate of starters. This is the smart approach, in my opinion, but they’ll need to find a couple of diamonds in the rough for their bullpen to balance out the overpay Jansen will command.

      Reply
      • staypuft

        9 years ago

        Tbf the royals knew they needed another starter to take the title, which is why the added Cueto. They sure wish they had Cueto in 2016…

        Reply
      • Blue_Painted_Dreams_LA

        9 years ago

        You also have to take into account the skewed numbers as the the royals played in the AL. Fernandez could play in both leagues and Chen has proven when healthy he can but that was one two in the rotation.

        Reply
  2. Slim_Hurley 2

    9 years ago

    Heath Bell

    Reply
  3. Blue_Painted_Dreams_LA

    9 years ago

    The first sentence from Heymans article: If the market breaks right.

    Reply
  4. kulaidx

    9 years ago

    Seems highly unlikely. He will definitely get more money from bigger teams, ie. Dodgers, Giants, Nationals, Cubs, Yankees…..no way he goes to Miami.

    Reply
    • teufelshunde4

      9 years ago

      Don’t forget Miami doesn’t do NTC either.. So ur exactly on point.. Less $$ to go with less chance to contend for WS and topped with no NTC..

      Reply
  5. vtadave

    9 years ago

    Not sure parting with the #14 pick for an $80MM reliever makes sense given that rotation and that bottom-feeding farm system.

    Reply
  6. mkeving

    9 years ago

    Dodgers just resign the man.

    Reply
    • ottomatic

      9 years ago

      Why would the Dodgers want for force Jansen to quit?

      Reply
      • cxcx

        9 years ago

        Lame.

        Reply
  7. jdolan74

    9 years ago

    Watch him get 5 years and $100m. At least one team will overpay. Chapman could get $125m and 5 or 6 years. Melancon is probably the bargain but he’ll still get 4 or 5 years and at least $80m.

    Reply
    • rivera42

      9 years ago

      5/100? 5-6/125? That sounds highly, highly unlikely.

      Reply
    • bonquisha

      9 years ago

      Id say 5/85-90 or 6/96-102ish seem more realistic.
      Your AAV is too high

      Reply
  8. rivera42

    9 years ago

    Oh please. Miami is cheap. They can target him all they want but they’re still not getting him.

    Reply
    • jakem59

      9 years ago

      The Marlins have ponied up plenty of times, we’re actually about due for one of their spending sprees.

      Reply
      • JT19

        9 years ago

        Yes, and then they would proceed to hold a fire sale if/when the team struggles.

        Reply
  9. bonquisha

    9 years ago

    MIA would need to offer the most money. Only way
    Id imagine other rosters and ownership are more appealing.

    Reply
  10. bucknerforhall

    9 years ago

    All smoke -no fire

    Reply
  11. Solaris611

    9 years ago

    If, by some miracle, they sign Jansen, they’ll still have to go out and sign 1 or 2 SPs – probably an Edinson Volquez or Brett Anderson type – to fill out the rotation. Marlins have a substantial lineup, but the holes in the pitching staff and lack of organizational depth doom them to the middle of the pack

    Reply
  12. redbirdrooter

    9 years ago

    Bullpen’s pretty good already. Be smarter to add a cheaper version like Tony Watson and spend real money on a starter.

    Reply
  13. Ralph Frascone

    9 years ago

    Yankees should send Betances &a Gardener to Marlins for Ozuna.

    Nice salary dump getting rid of gardner, yanks get a stud corner and free up some cap to bring in Chapman.

    Marlins get a great reliever back in Betances who thrives in the set up role. Betances/Ramos would be legit.

    Reply
    • aber22

      9 years ago

      No way marlins get that much for Ozuna

      Reply
    • kulaidx

      9 years ago

      MUCH rather have Betances, Gardner and Chapman than Ozuna and Chapman. The Yankees have money, they can sign Chapman without having to give up Betances in the process.

      Reply
    • ernestofigueroa87

      9 years ago

      Were you dropped on your head as a child?

      Reply
    • cuban1

      9 years ago

      Im a marlins fan, and even i know thats a huge overpay for ozuna

      Reply
    • jj954

      9 years ago

      I actually think this isnt that far fetched, Yankees just dumped McCann for nothing basically. Ozuna and Betances have similar value given Ozuna has club control for 3-4 more years, he also is much younger than Betances.

      Marlins kick in a prospect or Dietrich and this could get done imo

      Reply
  14. willi

    9 years ago

    Jansen is going to Yankees, Chapman stays with Cubs and mark goes to giants !

    Reply
    • Mikel Grady

      9 years ago

      I’d take that as a cub fan. Keep hearing Theo won’t spend on top 3 closer. Hope we get one

      Reply
      • Blue_Painted_Dreams_LA

        9 years ago

        It makes sense that they aren’t. They are going to have to spend big money this year or next year on the rotation either to lock guys up or towards the free agent market next year. If they really feel Edwards can work his way into that role they can just go get a reliever with control. I think Chapman ends back up with the Yankees. Jansen to the Dodgers. Melancon to the Giants. Now the Cubs still have multiple options like Doolittle etc. Watson is probably on the market, Robertson will probably be able to be had, someone will take a chance on Holland.

        Reply
    • brewfan27

      9 years ago

      Jansen – Dodgers
      Chapman – Yankees
      Melancon – Giants

      Reply
    • brewfan27

      9 years ago

      Jansen – Dodgers
      Chapman – Yankees
      Melancon – Giants that

      Reply
      • BlueSkyLA

        9 years ago

        I wasn’t convinced until you said it twice.

        Reply
  15. 66TheNumberOfTheBest

    9 years ago

    I think the Marlins could end up targeting Ivan Nova.

    They love ex-Yankees and Jim Benedict can continue the work Searage started.

    And sadly, they need at least one more starter.

    Reply
  16. yanksknicks

    9 years ago

    As a Yankee fan I only want chapman or melancon because they dont require us forfeiting a draft pick. Personally I think these reliever prices are way too high and I think it would be better to invest elsewhere than sign chapman for 18-20 mil per year.

    Reply
  17. tmlmikey

    9 years ago

    I’m not sure where else to ask this. A trade starting with Marcus Stroman for Christian Yelich? Feedback on logic, please? I started thinking maybe fish could start strengthening starting five with addition of Stroman. Go….

    Reply
    • Michael Macaulay-Birks

      9 years ago

      Why would the Blue Jays do that?

      Reply
      • jj954

        9 years ago

        WHY WOULD THE MARLINS DO THAT?

        Yelich is way more valauable

        Reply

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