Could Angels follow in Red Sox's footsteps and extend their Hall of Fame closer?

While the Boston Red Sox are squarely in the playoff picture and the Angels are already focusing on the off season, there is a parallel that brings the two organizations together. Both of the teams employ 37-year old closing pitchers that are among the best of their generation and making pushes to join the Hall of Fame following their retirement.

But for the Angels' Kenley Jansen and Boston's Arnoldis Chapman, retirement is far down the line. Jansen has been vocal about his chase for 500 saves, and just a few weeks ago stated he wants to pitch for at least four more years. He has been just about as consistent and dominant that a relief pitcher can be, and the Hall of Fame is well within reason for Jansen despite their anti-reliever history.

Chapman has had a completely resurgent season, posting the best ERA of his career in 2025 while cutting his walk rate in half. He is a key figure for the Red Sox second half surge, and they rewarded him with a contract extension over the weekend while they gear up for what could be a tense Wild Card race in the American League. Chapman will reportedly make $13.3 million in 2026, with a vesting option between Chapman and the Red Sox for the 2027 season as well.

And the Angels should do the same with Jansen

While Jansen's ERA is not on the same elite level as Chapman's (3.00 ERA for the Angels' closer vs. a ridiculous 1.04 ERA for Chapman), he has been dominant in save situations this season, on par with what Chapman has done as a whole. Jansen has had a couple of disaster outings in non-save situations that have inflated his ERA, but overall has been more than worth the $10 million contract the Angels gave him this offseason.

Jansen was also one of the most vocal leaders of the clubhouse this season, and furthermore could be a fantastic mentor going forward for young relievers in Anaheim like Reid Detmers, Sam Bachman, and Ben Joyce (once he recovers from his shoulder injury). Jansen offers the complete package as a veteran reliever, and the Angels have finally found a closer worth keeping around. If they offered him a contract somewhere in the $10-$13 million range for the next two seasons, Angels fans would likely applaud the front office for finally making a move they like.