ESPN: Yankees acquire Dodgers World Series champion for $150 million.
With a 21-16 record to begin the season, the New York Yankees lead the American League East division by two and a half games. With an MLB-high 62 home runs hit thus far, the Bronx Bombers are living up to their moniker. Aaron Judge, a consistent MVP contender who is dominating video games this season, is primarily responsible for their success.
However, the Yankees could have a weakness. The Yankees have had trouble closing out games late in the season after completing a huge offseason trade to acquire closer Devin Williams from the Milwaukee Brewers.
One MLB writer, though, could offer a solution for New York.
Jon Vankin of Newsweek wrote a column in which he projected the Yankees may target Kenley Jansen, a potential Hall of Fame closer.
“The cost to move Jansen from Anaheim to the Bronx shouldn’t be high because he would be a partial-season rental for the Yankees — either reentering free agency or retiring after this season when his contract expires,” Vankin stated. As the Yankees look to make a comeback trip to the World Series, “two lower minor-league pitching prospects — such as righty Cade Smith, a 2023 sixth-round pick, and left Kyle Carr, a third-round pick that same year — should be enough to secure Jansen and stabilize the crucial high-leverage end of the Yankees bullpen.”
The Veteran is still valuable.
This season, Jansen has had a bit of a rough start with the Halos. The 37-year-old has given up a 5.79 ERA, 1.393 WHIP, and a -0.1 bWAR in ten outings. For the 16-year veteran, these figures might not look impressive, but they are probably exaggerated because of one bad game.
Jansen had a bad night against the Detroit Tigers on May 2nd, recording just two outs and giving up six earned runs. However, his stats for Los Angeles this season have stayed acceptable in spite of that.
A player with Jansen’s postseason experience might be crucial as New York continues its run to reclaim the autumn classic. With several organizations, the former World Series champion has advanced far in the playoffs. He would undoubtedly assist in mentoring the Yankees’ younger players.
Throughout his career, Jansen has excelled in the playoffs. The four-time All-Star has struck out 94 hitters and has a 2.20 ERA in 59 playoff games. Late in the season, New York could need a pitcher like him in high-pressure situations.
There has been no lockdown closer for the Yankees.
Williams’ closer experiment with the Yankees hasn’t worked out thus far. The 2025 season has started out surprisingly poorly for the previous rookie of the year. Williams has pitched for the Yankees 15 times and has a staggering 9.24 ERA and 1.895 WHIP. The Yankees still need to act quickly, even though his underlying analytics, like his 3.64 FIP, would indicate that he is becoming unlucky.
The closer position in the Bronx has now been assigned to fellow reliever Luke Weaver. Furthermore, even if his season is off to a great start, his career 4.74 ERA would indicate that he is prone to some regression.
