Cardinals not interested in World Series-winning reliever

It looks like the St. Louis Cardinals aren’t looking in the direction of Kenley Jansen as they try to find a new arm for their bullpen.

The St. Louis Cardinals appear interested in landing a talented reliever, but there’s one particular pitcher they don’t seem all that interested in pursuing. For some reason, the Cardinals aren’t going after Kenley Jansen, a World Series winner who has spent his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The 34-year-old relief pitcher is talented and has shown that, at his best, he can be a dominant arm. Despite that, the Cardinals reportedly aren’t really doing anything to seek out Jansen’s talents.

According to a report from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch‘s Derrick Goold, the Cardinals haven’t been linked to Jansen in any way this offseason.

There are a couple of things that are likely at play here.

St. Louis Cardinals don’t appear interested in Kenley Jansen

One, Jansen isn’t young. He’s not exactly over the hill or set to retire. If anything, Jansen could conceivably have a few more seasons ahead of him before he steps away from playing baseball. But his age almost certainly has to be a factor.

It’s definitely a factor when considering what kind of contract Jansen is hoping to land.

Yes, Jansen is in his 30’s, but he’s still a very effective relief pitcher and has been remarkable throughout his career. He’s coming off of a five-year $80 million contract. He just made $20 million in 2021 alone. It wouldn’t be absurd for him to seek out a team that could provide another contract that would make Jansen even wealthier.

It seems unlikely that St. Louis is willing to spend that much on a relief pitcher right now, so there’s no real reason for them to try bargaining with Jansen.