Kenley Jansen has been the topic of trade speculation for a significant portion of the offseason. Due to the Red Sox’s financial constraints, they are exploring the possibility of trading the four-time All-Star closer. Alex Speier of the Boston Globe reported that the Red Sox are actively communicating with other teams about potentially trading Jansen before the start of the season.
It’s not just Jansen who could be on the move from the Red Sox bullpen. Christopher Smith of MassLive revealed that the Red Sox have also informed other teams that they are open to receiving offers for right-handed pitchers Chris Martin and John Schreiber.
Out of the three relievers, Jansen may have the least trade value. This is not a reflection of his performance, but rather his contract. Jansen is set to earn a salary of $16 million in the upcoming season, which is quite high. However, he remains an effective late-game pitcher, as he successfully closed out 29 of 33 save opportunities last year. In the past two seasons, he has maintained an earned run average (ERA) between three and four runs per nine innings.
Although his ERA last season was the second-highest of his career, it still remains above average. The same can be said for his strikeout rate of 27.7%, which was the highest among relievers in the league. At 36 years old, Jansen showed some improvement in his pitching, particularly with his trademark cutter. His average velocity on the pitch was 94.3 MPH, the highest it has been since 2014.
If the Red Sox wanted to increase their chances of getting better prospects in return, they could offer to pay a portion of Jansen’s salary. However, it seems that they are hesitant to do so. On the other hand, paying down some of Martin’s salary (and even less so with Schreiber) wouldn’t be a significant obstacle. Martin had an outstanding first season with the Red Sox, boasting a microscopic ERA of 1.05 over 51 1/3 innings. He also demonstrated excellent control, walking only 4% of opponents. Martin is owed a salary of $7.5 million for the upcoming season.
Schreiber, who will turn 30 next month, is in a different contractual situation. He is under arbitration control for the next three seasons and has agreed to a modest salary of $1.175 million for the upcoming campaign. While he had an impressive season two years ago, his performance in 2023 was not as remarkable. Schreiber faced some injury setbacks and struggled with his command, resulting in a higher walk rate. Despite his difficulties against left-handed hitters, he still posed a challenge for right-handed batters.
Considering trade offers for Schreiber (and potentially Martin) seems to be more about balancing the roster rather than financial reasons. The Red Sox are still in search of right-handed hitting outfielders and are looking for more stability in their rotation.
According to the Source mlbtraderumors.com