Ex-Red Sox 4-Time All-Star Called 8th-Best 'Trade Chip' Of 2025 MLB Season

He's not a member of the Boston Red Sox anymore, but Kenley Jansen looks poised to play a major role in the Major League Baseball season.

Jansen signed a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Angels after an unceremonious exit from Boston at the end of last season. The 37-year-old went home for the season a few days early while dealing with a lingering shoulder injury.

Though his time in Boston ended after two years, Jansen still looks like an impact pitcher at the major league level. The four-time All-Star has yet to allow a run in his first eight appearances of the year, racking up six saves and eight strikeouts in eight shutout innings.

Jansen, who is fourth on the all-time MLB saves list with 453, could be on the move at the trade deadline, which may affect his former team if he stays in the American League.

On Wednesday, MLB Network's Greg Amsinger listed Jansen as the eighth-best "trade chip" approximately three months ahead of the Jul. 31 deadline.

"Kenley Jansen looks terrific," Amsinger said. "And this is my surprise team. I feel terrible. The Angels just don't look good right now. The last week and a half, they've been terrible."

"Kenley looks great. And this future Hall of Famer wants to be in a winning environment. The velo, the spin, it's all A-plus. Kenley will be on the move."

From 2023 to 2024 with Boston, Jansen proved he was still an above-average big-league closer in the latter half of his thirties. He owned a 3.44 ERA across 99 1/3 innings, saving 56 of 64 opportunities.

It was clear that not everyone in the Red Sox clubhouse was thrilled with Jansen, not only for leaving early, but for checking out at the end of the season once it became clear they weren't going to make the playoffs. Jarren Duran blasted Kenley for sitting in the clubhouse "in his underwear" during a game captured by Netflix's "The Clubhouse" docuseries.

Will Jansen and the Red Sox meet on the big stage at some point this season? It all depends on where he might be headed.