Could Dwindling Reliever Market Prompt Red Sox Reunion?

The Boston Red Sox are less than two weeks away from the start of spring training, and the franchise isn’t done eyeing the relief pitching market.

Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has already welcomed in southpaw bullpen weapons Justin Wilson and Aroldis Chapman, and the team has been linked to a handful of others in free agency — Tanner Scott, Chris Martin and David Robertson, to name a few. That’s put the Red Sox in a complicated spot for adding any further if another reliever is on Breslow’s priorities list before Opening Day.

Boston was among the teams that showed interest in right-handed relief pitcher Tommy Kahnle, per MassLive’s Chris Cotillo, before the 35-year-old inked a one-year, $7.75 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Kahnle joining the powerhouse Dodgers further amplified the difficulty of enhancing manager Alex Cora’s bullpen, but it also raised the idea of leaning on a reunion.

Should the Red Sox, amid their search for reliever depth, look toward signing Kenley Jansen and bring him back to Boston instead?

Jansen spent the past two seasons with the Red Sox, recording a 3.44 ERA with 56 saves and 114 strikeouts across 105 appearances. During Jansen’s debut season in Boston, he was the team’s lone representative at the 2023 All-Star Game and finished the campaign with 42 saves in 44 2/3 innings thrown.

The familiarity factor of pitching at Fenway Park and with the club’s current mixed core of veterans and young up-and-coming studs also benefits both the Red Sox and Jansen. Both sides have reached a crossroads as Jansen sits cozy in free agency and Boston watches the laundry list of relievers cross a new name or two each day.

Hours after Kahnle and the Dodgers reached their agreement on Wednesday, free-agent closer Carlos Estévez signed with the Kansas City Royals, according to Passan. That removed yet another name from the fizzling market.

Jansen, who turned 37 years old last September, has already expressed a desire to return to a big league mound for at least a 16th season in 2025. The four-time All-Star and 2020 World Series champion is 32 saves shy of surpassing Lee Smith and claiming the No. 3 spot on baseball’s all-time saves leaders list.

Boston has made vast improvements to its roster, most notably in the pitching department. The team landed Garrett Crochet in a blockbuster with the Chicago White Sox and signed free agents Patrick Sandoval and Walker Buehler — Jansen’s former Dodgers teammate — to strengthen the starting rotation.

Breslow and the front office still haven’t found their desired right-handed bat addition, but the pitching staff itself represents a much-improved Red Sox roster. Coming off three straight last-place finishes in the American League East, it’s promising the job that Breslow’s done so far. Welcoming Jansen back could help solidify the pitching staff and get the Red Sox back to the postseason for the first time since 2021.

It’s hard to imagine Jansen’s price tag would be anything luxurious too, which is always a plus for any team.