MLB Rumors: Contender Looked Into Adding Recent Red Sox All-Star

It’s been an active offseason for the New York Mets, and they apparently thought about making another move for a household name.

After high-impact transactions involving Juan Soto, Clay Holmes, Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas, the Mets still needed to address their bullpen. New York did so by retaining Ryne Stanek, who the club acquired from the Seattle Mariners before the MLB trade deadline last season.

But before Steve Cohen and company agreed to terms with Stanek, they reportedly thought about adding a decorated reliever who pitched the last two seasons in Boston.

“The Mets on Wednesday agreed to terms with reliever Ryne Stanek on a one-year deal worth between $4-5 million, pending a physical,” SNY’s Andy Martino wrote in a column published Wednesday. “They had been talking to more expensive relievers like Kenley Jansen, too; the deal with Stanek could keep a bit of wiggle room to spend on (Pete) Alonso. The Stanek signing more likely than not signals that the Mets are now happy with their bullpen.”

Jansen, who was an All-Star with the Red Sox in 2023, is coming off another solid season. The 37-year-old converted on 27 of his 31 save opportunities and posted a 3.29 ERA, his second-lowest mark since 2018. Jansen also pitched 54 2/3 innings, 10 more than his first season in Boston.

It’s unclear what kind of market surrounds Jansen, who isn’t the lights-out closer he used to be. But Martino’s report indicated the four-time All-Star isn’t inclined to take any sort of discount.