Tigers receive solid grade for Kenley Jansen signing thanks to 'team-friendly' deal

The Detroit Tigers have been trying to revamp their bullpen over the last season and a half, and while the addition of Kyle Finnegan was a plus move, the Tigers needed to land more help in the bullpen.

Fortunately, the Tigers found their new closer in veteran right-hander Kenley Jansen. He signed an $11 million contract for one season. With Finnegan and Jansen in the fold, the Tigers' bullpen looks a lot better than it did in 2025 to begin the year.

For ESPN analyst Bradford Doolittle, this free agent deal for Jansen was a solid one. While he handed out a decent grade in the "B" range, he stipulated that the only reason he was scored so high was thanks to the "team-friendly" nature of the contract.

Tigers sign Kenley Jansen to team-friendly deal, earn B- grade

"In a vacuum, this is probably a C to C-plus addition," Doolittle writes, "but the terms seem downright team-friendly in an offseason that has seen teams throwing an awful lot of guaranteed money at those back-of-the-bullpen roles, so let's bump the grade up a bit."

Doolittle gave the Tigers a "B-" grade for their $11 million Jansen free agent deal. While the 38-year-old closer might be nearing the end of his career, he's still a solid closer and is more than deserving of a solid deal.

But, with how other clubs have spent a lot on their back-end relievers, the Tigers $11 million deal is a quality move for Detroit to pull off this winter.

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The four-time All-Star and active saves leader is coming off a strong year with the Los Angeles Angels in 2025. He had a 2.59 ERA with 2.4 bWAR and 29 saves.

He's currently at 476 saves, and a solid year for the Tigers as their closer could have Jansen reaching 500 career saves. While his Hall of Fame candidacy is a major question mark, reaching 500 saves would certainly help.

The Tigers have found a closer, and fortunately for the Tigers, it didn't cost a lot. Doolittle called this a "team-friendly deal," and only spending $11 million on a strong closer is more than worth it for the Tigers.

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