Kenley Jansen, the closer for the Red Sox, will experience a delay in his training due to “general lat soreness,” according to Craig Breslow, the chief baseball officer. This information was relayed by Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. Although Jansen has been cleared to participate in other drills, he has not yet begun throwing. There is no indication that this issue is severe or will impact his availability for Opening Day. However, it could complicate trade discussions involving Jansen, as the Red Sox are reportedly open to offers for him, as well as Chris Martin and John Schreiber. Jansen’s name has been mentioned most frequently in trade rumors, likely due to his $16MM salary for the upcoming season.
Breslow acknowledged the possibility of trade interest in Jansen during a press conference on Tuesday. He emphasized that Jansen is a valuable asset to the team, being an All-Star-caliber closer with an impressive career. However, the Red Sox are open to exploring potential trades for their talented players, including Jansen. Despite this, Breslow expressed excitement about Jansen’s contributions to the team and the depth they have in their bullpen.
Throughout his career, Jansen has been fortunate to avoid arm injuries. He has had a few stints on the injured list in the past due to an irregular heartbeat and a brief stay last September for virus-related reasons. However, in 2023, Jansen remained healthy and appeared in 51 games. He maintained a 3.63 ERA in 44 2/3 innings, striking out 27.7% of opposing batters. Notably, his cutter had an average velocity of 94.3 MPH, the highest it has been in ten years.
According to the Source mlbtraderumors.com