MLB Rumors: Cody Bellinger latest, Alonso prediction, potential Kenley Jansen package

MLB Rumors: Potential Kenley Jansen package

The Boston Red Sox have had a strange offseason. On one hand, they've made solid additions, bringing Tyler O'Neill, Lucas Giolito, and Vaughn Grissom in to try and improve what was the worst team in the AL East. On the other hand, the Red Sox dumped Alex Verdugo's contract and replaced him with the cheaper O'Neill, and traded Sale to get Grissom after signing Giolito.

The Red Sox entered the offseason with their starting rotation being their biggest weakness. Yes, they added Giolito who should be more dependable than Sale, but trading away Sale's upside certainly hurts. Replacing Giolito with Sale gives Boston more innings, but they might not be as quality as the ones Sale would've given.

With the Red Sox still needing more rotation help, they can address it by signing one of the high-end free agents. Unfortunately, for reasons that cannot be explained, Red Sox ownership seems to be crying poor, and will only pursue the high-end market if they can dump salary. With that in mind, a player they can easily dump is Kenley Jansen. The four-time all-star is owed $16 million for 2024. A hefty sum for sure, but one that a big market team in need of bullpen help, like the Dodgers, can easily take on.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have already had a monster offseason, signing Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto while also trading for Tyler Glasnow. As good as their team is, it's hard to see them being done, especially when there's room for them to improve in the bullpen. Re-acquiring Jansen to serve as the team's closer would push Evan Phillips back to a set-up role where he succeeded in a big way in 2022, and it wouldn't cost all that much to even get Jansen.

The Red Sox need pitching, and the Dodgers have lots of it when it comes to prospects. Perhaps a deal centered on Landon Knack, the Dodgers' ninth-ranked prospect according to MLB.com who is MLB-ready, can get Jansen back in Dodger blue.