Angels bullpen woes could have been even worse with this move

There was a vocal group of Los Angeles Angels fans — you know who you were — that wanted to see the team re-sign veteran closer Kenley Jansen. It was a fair argument. The right-hander made 62 relief appearances for the Halos last season, racked up 29 saves, and posted a 2.59 ERA.

Given how poorly LA's relief corps has performed this season, those same Angels fans are probably thinking Perry Minasian missed a golden opportunity. Unfortunately, Jansen's start to the 2026 campaign has been as bad as the rest of the Halos' bullpen.

Jansen didn't stay on the open market for very long. Closers were a hot commodity once the offseason began, and he signed a one-year, $11 million deal with the Detroit Tigers. The contract included a $12 million option for the 2027 season with a $2 million buyout.

The Angels might've avoided a Kenley Jansen disaster

But through the first month of the 2026 season, the Tigers may be wanting some of their money back. Jansen — the current active MLB saves leader — has an unsightly 6.14 ERA and 7.63 FIP in 10 appearances while covering 7⅓ innings of work.

Jansen's still striking out opponents with regularity (26.5% K-rate), but he's walking nearly 12% of the batters he faces. The home run ball is haunting Jansen this season. He's already allowed three balls to leave the yard after watching just eight clear the fence in 2025. He's also blown three save opportunities already this season after recording just one blown save all of last year.

That said, the Angels' bullpen has been awful this season. LA ranks at the bottom of nearly every meaningful category, including ERA (5.66), FIP (5.01), BB/9 (5.51), HR/9 (1.21), and wild pitches (9). The one plus is Los Angeles' 118 strikeouts, which puts them in the middle of the pack.

The Angels' bullpen is a mess, but it looks as if Ben Joyce could be close to returning. In all fairness to LA's front office, the assumption — though a foolish one — was that high-priced reliever Robert Stephenson was going to return this season. Angels fans now know that he's out for another year after another surgery, and the bullpen is filled with aging veterans and unproven rookies. At least they're not paying for Jansen's shortcomings, too.

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