Red Sox May Shop Veteran Reliever Despite Recent Success

The Boston Red Sox entered June with an even 29-29 record. It was a familiar situation for a club that has played .500 ball for most of the past two seasons. Since then, though, Boston has gone on a run, getting its record to a strong 43-37. If the season ended today, the Red Sox would be in the postseason. But despite that, Boston may still look to move on from some pieces at the trade deadline. According to Jim Bowden of The Athletic’, the Red Sox may shop closer Kenley Jansen despite their recent success.

Red Sox Are Open to Trading Kenley Jansen 

Jansen’s recent performances have aligned perfectly with Boston’s hot streak. He’s allowed just one run in 9 2/3 innings, posting a 0.93 ERA in June. He recorded saves in six straight appearances from June 12 to June 23. That’s much better than the 36-year-old’s struggling May, where he had a 4.50 ERA and just four saves.

Teams that surge towards the deadline change their trading mindset as it draws closer. For an organization that looked like it would sell a month ago, the Red Sox may flip come the end of July. That doesn’t mean they won’t trade important pieces away, though, as MLB insiders have pointed to the departure of Jansen over the past month or so. Most recently, Jim Bowden focused on Boston’s mindset heading into July.

“Rival execs reminded me there could be several “buyer-to-buyer” type trades this year and that Jansen could be expendable in the right swap,” Bowden said in an article published Wednesday.

Given recent comments, a signal that the Red Sox mindset may still lead to some offloading isn’t shocking. In early June, Boston’s principal owner, John Henry, pointed out that financial sustainability is sometimes more important than year-to-year success. As Bowden pointed out, The Red Sox could still add a “buyer-to-buyer” nature at the deadline. It all depends on what Boston does in the next month before the trade deadline.

Is it Worth Trading Jansen?

It’s a tough decision for the Red Sox, who really couldn’t have imagined this run into some contention over the last three weeks. During his time in the big leagues, Jansen has proven he can win – taking home a World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020.

For Boston, it all depends on how it views its bullpen. If the Red Sox keep pace until the deadline and sit in, or within reach of, a playoff spot, it will be hard to justify a selling nature without some help-now returns. But Boston’s bullpen has been pretty strong in 2024 and has multiple pieces that could step in. Chris Martin and Brennan Bernardino have been solid this season. Zack Kelly has been impressive with his first shot at top-level baseball. None of those are considered proven closer options, but if the Red Sox believe they can transition one of them, letting Jansen go hurts a lot less.

Jansen, if traded, would most certainly be shipped to a contender. His 2.30 ERA this campaign and a dominant June make him a solid piece to dangle at the deadline. If Boston needs help elsewhere, most likely on the offensive end, then trying to move on from an impending free agent makes sense. It would be a different story if Jansen had some control in the coming years, but he is a rental for any team looking to take him on. Trading him makes sense as long as Boston can find a replacement within or from another club. Especially if the Red Sox attach themselves to some of the more prominent names at the deadline.