Kenley Jansen was Atlanta's closer for the 2022 season before the team moved on from the veteran in favor of Raisel Iglesias taking over the role. Jansen would make a stop in Boston before landing with the Angels in the 2025 offseason. The veteran is off to an incredible start, giving the team at least one reliable option. Something the Braves have lacked during the first weeks of the season. Already, Atlanta's closer has surpassed last year's home runs allowed totals and is showing some alarming signs. Add in the lack of setup options, and Atlanta would be lucky to see Jansen return.
The Angels aren't expected to be a contender and have an inarguably strong trading relationship with Atlanta. One trade has already been worked on this season, the Braves sending Ian Anderson to the Angels in exchange for a long relief option. It is far from the first time the two sides have swapped players, and a move with Jansen makes sense for both sides.
Kenley Jansen Gives the Braves a Postseason-Worthy Bullpen
If Atlanta is lucky enough to climb out of an early hole and make the postseason, who do you trust out of the bullpen? You hope that Iglesias turns the corner and is able to return to the player he was in his first seasons in Atlanta. If that happens, the team could add Jansen in a setup role and hope Craig Kimbrel or another of the team's current options proves reliable enough to consistently cover the 7th inning.
Considering the age of both Kimbrel and Jansen, it is far from a slam-dunk fix. However, Atlanta's choice not to add more talent in the offseason made sure there wasn't going to be some perfect answer waiting. Unless the team is willing to greatly tax their farm system, you can't add the number of arms this team so badly needs.
The better option is to target an aging player in Jansen and hope to find an answer on your current roster. Paying top dollar for a bullpen piece with clear needs in the outfield and rotation isn't likely to be the team's chosen path. Jansen is still likely to demand a respectable price, but at his age, on a team not expected to be contending for anything of note, it is doable. Bringing Jansen back to Atlanta is a viable option that could help patch the team's biggest current concern.