Red Sox supporters have endured a frustrating offseason, with the team’s ownership unwilling to spend money despite being a prominent franchise in a major market. Now, another issue has emerged, further diminishing the outlook for the upcoming season.
In 2023, one of Boston’s strengths was its bullpen’s back end, bolstered by impressive performances from newcomers Kenley Jansen as the closer and Chris Martin as the setup man.
However, concerns are growing regarding Jansen’s immediate future. According to Ian Browne of MLB.com, Jansen was scratched from today’s spring training game due to lingering lower back tightness, marking another setback for the veteran reliever.
Kenley Jansen was again scratched today with lower back tightness. He needs to get right in the next day or two to start the season on the active roster.
— Ian Browne (@IanMBrowne) March 19, 2024
Browne noted that Jansen needs to recover within the next day or two in order to avoid starting the season on the injured list and be available on the active roster.After signing a 2-year, $32 million contract with Boston, Jansen had a solid first season, recording 29 saves with a 3.63 ERA.
However, his numbers were inflated by blowing three saves over a two-week span in mid-May, including back-to-back blown saves against the St. Louis Cardinals. Aside from that stretch, Jansen only blew one other save for the entire season.
Now 36 years old and in the final year of his contract, the 4-time All-Star and former World Series champion needs a strong campaign to secure another lucrative deal in free agency, following a career-worst ERA in 2023. If Jansen is forced to miss time, the obvious choice to fill in as the closer would be Chris Martin, who is coming off an impressive 1.05 ERA season as the setup man.
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