3 teams that could poach Kenley Jansen away from Angels this offseason

The Angels had dreams of playoff contention going into the season, which played a huge part in them bringing in former Los Angeles Dodgers’ closer and future Hall of Famer Kenley Jansen to run their bullpen in the ninth. He has been as good as the team could have hoped for, as he is on pace to own his first sub-3.00 ERA season since 2021. But with free agency looming, his talents will be highly desirable and these three teams could be the biggest competition as the Angels try to keep Jansen in Anaheim.

3 teams that could poach Kenley Jansen away from Angels this offseason

Los Angeles Dodgers

This is the most obvious competitor. The Dodgers simply burn money in order to put the best team on the field, and given the history with Jansen in Chavez Ravine they will be among the first teams to reach out once the season ends. And if Jansen is trying to bolster a Hall of Fame case, the Dodgers offering him the chance to close games while adding another World Series to his resume would give them a bonus on top of however much they offer him on his contract.

New York Yankees

With a star-studded offense and the return of Gerrit Cole to lead an already strong rotation, Yankees fans are likely already looking at 2026. Their second-half collapse has been hard to watch, and their bullpen has some blame in it. The Devin Williams experiment has simply not worked out, and a closer like Kenny Jansen to close out games would likely have the fans in New York salivating.

Boston Red Sox

Jansen spent the 2023 season with the Red Sox, and it wound up being an All Star worthy campaign for him. He posted a 3.63 ERA and 29 saves, numbers that are not quite as impressive as his 2025 self. The Red Sox had major postseason hopes in a wide open American League prior to star rookie Roman Anthony’s injury, and as they regroup for 2026 solidifying their bullpen will be a high priority at Fenway Park. With Arnoldis Chapman re-upping for the next two seasons, Jansen may not like the idea of not serving as the closer. However, Boston can spend with the best of them, and if they really want to bring Jansen back, they’ll bid like it.

All in all, any team with a semblance of postseason hopes and lack of elite closer will be inquiring about Jansen. He is one of the best to ever do it and has given the Angels one of his most efficient seasons yet. He has been a vocal leader in Anaheim alongside his elite pitching, but the Angels will have to both pay off and show they can compete if they’re going to keep Jansen in town.

3 teams that could poach Kenley Jansen away from Angels this offseason