The Kenley Jansen signing throws cold water on Angels' most exciting player

The Angels absolutely needed to address their bullpen, but the team's signing of their next closer is somewhat bittersweet. Kenley Jansen is a welcome addition to the team, but both Angels and baseball fans were awfully excited to see Ben Joyce in a full-time closer role in 2025. He will still receive opportunities to post some saves, but on a more limited basis so long as Jansen is available. The 37-year-old spurned the Mets and a much better chance for another championship in favor of closing games regularly in Anaheim to further his Hall of Fame case. Joyce became the Angels closer after the team traded Carlos Estévez last season, and set the world on fire with his otherworldly stuff. He will be pitching more as a full-time set-up man as a result of adding Jansen.

A.J. Pierzynski made a great case on "Foul Territory" as to why the Jansen signing is good for the Angels, but leaves a slightly bad taste in fans' mouths. Pierzynski claims that it's better for Joyce's development to remain the Angels' closer, given he would have more opportunities to learn from blowing saves. He later said adding Jansen possibly will detract from Joyce's ability to ask for more money when he becomes arbitration-eligible.

Ben Joyce was easily the most watchable player for the team last season. He was not the best -- that was Zach Neto -- but it was impossible for both casual and die-hard baseball fans to take their eyes off Joyce when he entered games. It's much more fun to watch him in 9th innings and higher leverage situations without Jansen warming up in case he struggles.

The Angels' will for sure enter a closer by committee approach with Jansen and Joyce next season. Jansen is getting more and more injury prone as he continues his 15-year career, and ended up stepping away from the Red Sox at the end of last season due to a shoulder injury. Joyce was a first round talent in the MLB Draft, but dropped to the Angels in the third round due to valid longevity concerns. Joyce's 44.2 innings pitched in 43 career games perfectly encapsulates his durability issues. Neither should pitch on back-to-back days the first month of the regular season, and that will happen sparingly throughout the course of the full season.

On a sentimental and analytical front, David Robertson would have been a superior signing to Jansen. He is better and would not have been much more expensive than Jansen. The Angels would have still been able to deploy a committee, but with Joyce being the primary closer in this hypothetical scenario. Robertson was a full-time set-up man to Kirby Yates last season, and likely will return to that role with whoever he ends up signing with. Perhaps the Angels would have had to hard-sell Robertson on joining a periphery contender by offering him the opportunity to close games full-time? However, if the Angels were the highest bidder, it feels like the self-represented Robertson would have joined their bullpen.

All this being said, adding Jansen is a smart move for the team. It's just hard not to be slightly dismayed that the Angels are not enabling Joyce to begin the season as the bona fide, late-inning stopper. Not betting on Joyce as the full-time closer and bringing in a mentor in the form of a potential Hall of Famer are savvy decisions by the front office. Adding Jansen could even push Joyce harder during spring training in the regular season, allowing his on-field performance to get better.

Again, adding Jansen is the right thing to do. Ben Joyce will still collect saves next season. Fans were just eager to see Joyce start to establish himself as their closer of the future at the outset of the regular season. That timeline is pushed back for now.

More LA Angels News from Halo Hangout