The Tigers have agreed to a one-year contract with veteran closer Kenley Jansen, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports. The deal pays Jansen $11MM, as per USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, and The Athletic’s Cody Stavenhagen adds that the contract contains a club option on Jansen’s services for the 2027 season. Earlier today, MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo reported that the two sides were “deep in talks” and heading towards the final stages of a deal. Jansen is represented by the Wasserman Agency.
Will Vest is coming off a strong season as Detroit’s primary saves candidate, but Vest will now move back into a high-leverage setup role to accommodate one of baseball’s most experienced closers. Jansen has 476 career saves, and is just three saves away from passing Lee Smith for third place on the all-time list. It certainly seems possible that Jansen can reach the 500-save plateau this season, though catching Trevor Hoffman (601 saves) for the second-highest total in history doesn’t seem possible unless Jansen reaches his goal of pitching until at least through the 2029 season.
For now, however, the 38-year-old Jansen has a one-year commitment from Detroit, with the 2027 option representing a possible continuation into the right-hander’s age-39 campaign. The Tigers entered the offseason looking to reinforce their bullpen, and the team has signed Jansen and re-signed Kyle Finnegan just within the last week. Jansen’s deal probably takes the Tigers out of the running for another target in former Rays closer Pete Fairbanks.
Even after 16 Major League seasons, Jansen still has some gas in the tank, as evidenced by his 2.59 ERA over 59 innings with the Angels in 2025. However, his secondary metrics left something to be desired, as Jansen’s 24.4% strikeout rate and 44.6% hard-hit ball rate were both easily the worst of his career. A .195 BABIP and 85.2% strand rate helped Jansen’s bottom-line numbers remain in check, though his 3.94 SIERA was much higher than his actual ERA.
Jansen did post better numbers as the 2025 season went on, and the Tigers themselves were responsible for a big chunk of the damage on the righty’s ERA. (Of the 17 earned runs charged to Jansen in 2025, Detroit scored six of them in an ugly meltdown for Jansen back on May 2 in a 9-1 Tigers win over the Angels.) The stronger finish to the season provides some hope that Jansen can more fully get on track next year, and he might also be energized by again pitching for a contender after a year with the struggling Halos.
For a team that has thrived on “bullpen chaos” over the last couple of seasons, the Tigers will now move in a different direction by installing a true closer in place for the ninth inning. If Jansen can come close to his 2025 production, that’s a nice plus for the team, as Vest’s move to a set-up role will strengthen things all the way down the depth chart.
More bullpen moves may still be coming, as between Finnegan and Jansen’s 2025 numbers, the Tigers still haven’t solved their primary goal of adding more punchout power to their bullpen. Detroit had the second-lowest bullpen strikeout rate (20.1%) of any team in baseball in 2025, ahead of only the lowly Rockies.
Finnegan setting up?
Vest
I wonder if his option Will Vest
Ah, an oldie but a goodie for we Tiger fans!
Buena firma. Tendrán un buen relevo en la parte final.
That’s not how Hinch manages. There could be up to 4-5 closers.
That might not be how hinch manages with guys like brant hurter or finnegan or vest or tyler holton
But a guy with 476 career saves is only pitching the 9th . He aint signing with a tm to pitch the 7th/8th
Yes, this ^^^^
I agree. Hinch will play matchups with everyone but Jansen.
Can’t believe the Giants seem willing to give Walker another chance as closer.
They didn’t want to pay up to bring Tyler Rogers back.
Buster has said he is good with a spring training competition. Walker will have to earn it.
I’m team Miller.
In this one particular instance it makes sense. Due to Jansen’s heart condition he is not able to accompany the team to Colorado, it’s probably why none of the NL West teams have tried to sign him since he left the Dodgers. Half of the teams in the AL don’t even have to go to Colorado (the Tigers host the Rockies in September).
If it’s a one year deal then okay. He had a decent year last year.
On the surface he did.
Take away the games he threw against the Tigers, and he had an amazing year.
He and Detmers both had great years save for 2-3 outings. Now neither of them will be in the Angels pen.
Look at Jensen’s hard hit rates and BABIP. His 2.59 ERA is less solid than it first appear. His FIP was 3.98.
Only reason he’s available to a non-big spending team.
And his xFIP- was 110
One can look under the hood, but Jansen had 29 saves last season — ninth in MLB — with one blown save. He’s had 25 or more saves for thirteen years in a row (excluding COVID year). He knows how to pitch. He has 20 postseason saves. He’s a great get for the Tigers on a short term deal at an AAV less than Tyler Rogers.
The surprise is that he’d sign with the Tigers. He’s earned over $150 million in his career, so at this AAV level he likely wasn’t looking for the last dollar but the best situation. What he really wants is to be a closer so he can burnish his HOF credentials (he’s four saves behind Lee Smith for third on the all time list, 24 short of 500 saves). Surprising he’d want to go to a team that has two other pitchers who each saved at least 23 games last season and a manager with a history of mixing and matching in the bullpen. Shocking that the Angels didn’t want him back at essentially the same deal he had last season (particularly since they’re moving their other high leverage arm to the rotation). The Athletics — post Mason Miller — also would have seemed an excellent spot. You could say both of those teams are finishing in the bottom of the AL West so why do they need to spend on a closer? But a closer was the difference between those teams being bad last season and losing 0ver 100 games, and there’s a big attitude difference on a team to losing 100 or more games (see 2024 CWS). A big surprise unless it’s more important to Jansen to have a chance at another World Series (he’s pitched in three, winning once) than amassing more saves.
They said he got better as the season went on but didn’t post any ststs in support of it. Decent signing and could be more if Fetter can help jim improve a few things. Or…Joe Nathan Part 2.
Very true. His ERA doesn’t come close to his FIP. So he pitched more like a guy with a 4 ERA then the 2.60 he ended up with. Still strikes out a decent amount for a late 30’s reliever with a ton of miles on him. But again another career worst. All the numbers under the hood are going in the wrong direction.
He’s going to Detroit because they are in a competitive window. He spent last year slumming in with the Angels. While he might have gotten a clear closer job with the A’s, Jansen like so many older players wants to win. I think he wants another ring.
I also wonder if, as a guy looking to keep adding saves/strikeouts, there’s an appeal in joining a team with the b2b Cy Young winner. This team wins when Skubal pitches, so wouldn’t any closer chasing stats find that tempting? I like it for both.
Good. They need at least one more quality reliever.
A lefty
Had a really nice year here last year and is a really great guy.
I’ll gladly root for him in Detroit.
I thought he was coming back. I guess Minasians are already cellebrating Christmas.
Deep Talks, w/ Jack Handey
LOL
The face of a child can say it all, especially the mouth part of the face.
It’s sad that a family can be torn apart by something as simple as wild dogs
If you ever drop your keys in molten lava, let em go, because man, they’re gone.
Are they doing this at the local water park?
Lmao how underwhelming
Finnegan and Jansen..there will be an uptick in heart attacks in the Detroit area in 2026.
Finnegan was lights out with Detroit last year.
I’m surprised he’s not going back to the Angels, he seemed to like it there from my understanding.
If the Angels were not going to resign him, they should have traded him. Another misread by Minasian.
Angels can’t let him go
Waaay more teams should be in on this guy. Tigers have Finnegan and Vest already who can close.
Woo hoo! Finally, a Major Leaguer!
Tigers could do worse. Could do better but only a few better still left on the market. Still, would prefer Fairbanks to Jansen. Jansen still a solid reliever at 38. But at 38 better be for only one season. Otherwise my Joe Nathan nightmares might come back.
(shuddering at “Joe Nathan”)
And Troy Percival
You just sent me into full-body seizure
Don’t forget K-Rod.
Blood just trickled out of my nose.
Every one of those guys Detroit got a year or two too late. Nathan and Percival were cooked and Krod lost some heat and started to bounce around before he finished in Detroit. I think he was the only one who finished up in Detroit. Relievers 35 plus are a year to year risk. I’d be pretty sure that they all had decent seasons before they signed.
Krod was very good his first year in Detroit
.
K-Rod had a few good seasons before his meltdown.
You have all fueled my nightmares with those names!
Kenley won’t be their best reliever, but maybe he can gobble up 24 saves while Vest does the dirty work.
And Finnegan.
Sure
Vest is The Guy there, though
Highest leverage isn’t always in the ninth inning. So it frees vest to take on those spots.
Last year. It was holton the 2 previous years
Not a bad get if this does happen. Good for the Tigers
Dang it. Was hoping the Angels would resign him
This could provide some visibility into what he thinks of the Angels and their 2026 chances.
Maybe being back Carlos Esteves
He isn’t a FA.
Wonder what some of these other rps are asking for?
Back to back days with a Jansen signing
Nice pickup, guy’s been consistently good.
Still think the importance of closers is overrated.
Yes but sometimes you have to promise them the role to sign especially with shorter term deals
Closers? Yes
High leverage relievers? Probably not
Believe-
Me too. I remember the Steve Farr’s and Joe Borowski’s of the world. Two guys with middle of the road stuff that picked up saves. You just need to pitch in a save situation. Then again there are lots of Ryan Madson’s as well. Shut down in the 7th or 8th and a pinata in the 9th.
Shrewd move. Have Jansen close with Finnehan setting up.
*Finnegan
Ok move as they must have felt Fairbanks was too expensive so they went for the bargain with Jansen hoping he has some gas left in the tank. However I’ll remind everyone hope is a very flawed strategy
Who’s setting up dev Mets?😂😂
Besides Miller, anybody in the Padres’ pen would be Devin’s set-up man! Will listen to all offers…
Jansen-Vest-Finnegan is a heck of closing trio. Nice work, Tigers!
Jansen, Vest, Finnegan, Hanifee…maybe Melton all in the late innings.
Still think the Tigers need a mid-rotation starter that allows Melton to mature in the bullpen.
I’m not comfortable relying on Anderson in the rotation…heck, even on the staff.
I kind of like the idea of Ha-Seong Kim at SS/3B/2B. Let Baez and Meadows share CF. I’m not a fan of Bregman anyway.
Maybe Justin Verlander on a 1 yr. $15 million.
Melton should be a starter. With Skubal, Mize, and Flaherty on expiring contracts, the Tigers need to consider 2027 (in case there really is a 2027 season). Jobe will have hopefully recovered and Olson will still be in the mix.
BP is now Jansen, Finnegan, Vest & Holton as locks. The other 4 spots are up for grab with Hurter, Hannifee, Brieske, Gibson-Long, Montero, Anderson, Dylan Smith, Ty Madden, Bailey Horn, & Tanner Rainey, plus several other TBD pitchers up for consideration. Sure Harris will sign a few more pitchers to minor league deals with invites to ST so will make for an interesting BP battle come February/March
Hurter and Hannifee are locks in that peen.
Hurter, absolutely. But Tigers have a lot of RH competing with Hanifee, so he will need a good spring.
Thanks for the memories Kenley. It was nice to have a good closer even if the rest of the staff stunk. Hope you can get to the playoffs with the Tigers.
The absolute best signing of the off-season. Check out Kenley’s 2025 stats (2.5 WAR),then just for fun, check out his career stats. $11MM for one season? You’re kidding. Really? An absolute steal!
kenley jansen who has had 25 or more saves every single season since 2012 (except covid) got a commitment of $11 mil.
devin williams who has had more than 18 saves ONE time in his career, coming off a 4.79 era year, got a commitment of $51mil from the lolmets
I’m a big fan of WHIP. Jansen has a career WHIP lower than both Vest and Finnegan over a career that’s 2x longer than each of them.
I love relief pitchers who don’t walk guys and keep guys off the bases.
I could easily see Jansen being held out until that absolute, last out has to be had.
or
Runners on 1st and 3rd in the 8th. Tigers holding a 1 run lead. Jansen is your guy ahead of Vest and Finnegan. Those 2 guys are better when starting an inning. Jansen is the guy you want when you HAVE TO GET THAT ONE GUY……OUT.
Add to that give up inherited runners and that’s all you need in an effective reliever.
It’s harder for inherited runners to score if your guy doesn’t walk or give up hits. Kenley has a low WHIP over his whole career. A WHIP around 1.00 in a closer is awesome. If you like inherited runners scoring, Gregory Soto is your guy.
Guess something lost on translation, inherited runners NOT scoring is what you are looking for. A reliever might have a good ERA at first glance but he might still give up other guys runs.
You completely misunderstood him. He was simply saying that Gregory Soto can’t be counted on to prevent inherited runners from scoring.
Thank you. In closers the ERA is irrelevant. It’s WHIP, to me. How few baserunners does this guy allow? Jansen is really good at keeping runners off the bases.
One year commitment for an aging closer with concerning metrics. This had Jed Hoyer written all over it. Cubs won’t pay for Fairbanks now that Rogers helped establish his baseline. Ricketts and the Cubs acting like a mid market club is infuriating and us Cubs fans deserve better.
What? I get that Harris came from the Cubs front office under Hoyer, but what does have to do anything with the Cubs? Oh and I’m sorry that 2016 sucked.
Kenley looking to join the 500 save club next season.
He will get there too.
Takes more than one pitcher to make up a bullpen. I like the signing. Also, forgot where he played in 2025 before seeing this.
Not like the Angels don’t need Detmers in the rotation, but why didn’t they keep him in the pen as the closer?
The Angels couldn’t match this? Kenley made it clear that he’d prefer to return, especially as he lives in SoCal. And he could’ve gotten his 500th save as an Angel.
Nice pick up for Detroit, Angels fell asleep there.
Not sure they were asleep as much as they just decided not to bring him back. I hope they aren’t counting on Stephenson or Joyce. But another one-year deal would’ve been ideal.
@orange2001. Looks like he wasn’t offered a contract. I guess the closer market opened up, maybe he chose a potential playoff team. Last year he was pretty much stuck with angels if he wanted to get saves.
Nice pickup for Detroit.
Jansen is finished, I don’t care what his stats show. He is going to blow many games for the Tigers
That K rate is not so great. The hard hit rate is also not good. Not impressed. Maybe Fetter can get something out of him.
WOW, that’s major check in by the owner and management that they are going for it. The rumors of moving Skubal heated up during the meetings, but this deal screams we’re going for it with Skubal. Harris is once again taking care of business. GO TIGERS !
What an awesome move by Harris… Kenley is the perfect replacement for Kahnle. Tigers have an excellent back end bullpen now.
Unfortunately, Jansen is not replacing Kahnle. He is replacing Vest. Vest was solid last year. Why fix what’s not broken? Seems Finnegan was signed for more. Very unusual to have the set up guy making more than the closer.
Hopefully everyone pitches lights out,but AJ’s has proven he will move on from someone if they continue to struggle. Relievers are the hardest in MLB to predict. If Jensen falters, I have no doubt AJ will move him to a less strenuous role (like he’s done with just about everybody so far).
Wow, helluva job by Harris on this one. A guy with LEGIT closing experience & his track record on a 1-year, $11M deal. That’s a lot less than I thought he could command. I figured at least 2 or 3 years to sign him. And the $11M is less then I’d expect. Nice move, Tigers!
Other than the trash cans, Jansen is the reason the dodgers didn’t win in 2017
For Tigers fans, he’s still better than the cans full of trash Harris acquired at the trade deadline (other than Finnegan). Or maybe you’ve never seen the can of gasoline named Rafael Montero…
One of Harris’s best signings ever, now maybe he can sign Verlander for his swan song and help us win a World Series. Need to sign Suarez or another hitter too, but beats his usual BS
I am SO EXCITED to see Kenley in Tiger colors!!!
The back of our bullpen is looking like a real strength with him and Finnegan locking down late inning roles!!!
Let’s go Tigers!!!
Don’t undercut Will Vest. He had a great season!
I agree 100% about Vest! He did a great job in the closers role last year.
But, I honestly think he’s better suited for a set-up role ahead of the closer (Jansen)!
Go Tigers!!!
Tiggers improved the pen, even at his age.
So the Bullpen looks like
Jansen
Finny
Vest
Horton
Hurter
Who else?
Hannifee, Keider Montero, Dylan Smith?
Brieske, Gipson-Long, Madden
I like Montero (Keider, not Rafael) and am glad we still have him. He’ll probably be swingman another year since I think he has one more option.
Gibson-Long should be much better with another 9 mos of recovery from TJ. (OTOH, I’m not expecting much from Jobe even if he does return late in ’26 as Harris says.)
Jake Miller, Madden and Hamm probably aren’t too far off either. The Tigers could always start them out in the pen in ’26, and change them into starters later.
There’s also always a chance a farmhand rises up this year. We’ve got a couple on the farm who throw 100 – Malachi Witherspoon & Marco Jimenez. Jimenez was lights out at WMich last year. ‘Spoon is only 21 but Marco is 26 and probably wouldn’t be fazed.
Good pickup or the Alex Cobb of 2026? I would have preferred that the Tigers spent 11 million on a younger pitcher. I can’t forget how Tiger batters destroyed him in that series in L.A. Time will tell but I don’t think that time is on his side.
I have a feeling this one is going to turn in to the last season of Valverde on repeat.
Maybe they have a plan to improve him. 2025 wasn’t worthy of 11m
Kenley
Vest
Finnegan (was the first guy out in October)
Holton (bounce back)
Anderson (Kahnle replacement)
Montero (98 out of the pen, 17 innings 19Ks in Sept, 5.1 1 hit in the playoffs)
Brieske
Hanifee
Hurter
Skubal
Flaherty
Mize
Olsen
Melton
I’m wary of Angels’ rejects.
He wasn’t rejected by the Angels. The Angels were rejected by him.
Tommy Kahnle 2.0