John Harper of the Daily News makes his case for the Mets signing free-agent closer Kenley Jansen this offseason.
“If the Mets want to take a huge step toward re-claiming that supremacy next year and beyond, they should make a big splash this off-season by signing Kenley Jansen,” writes Harper who argues that adding Jansen will put the Mets on par with the Chicago Cubs as one of the top two contenders in the league.
I always laugh when I see all these writers and bloggers use that line “make a big splash” as the crux of what the Mets should do in the offseason. It dulls any other reasoning for the move and it ends up making for a shallow and poorly conceived argument.
The primary goal for the Mets is to allocate their resources effectively while addressing the team’s needs and upgrading where necessary. And while Jansen would certainly bolster the bullpen significantly, is it the best use of our payroll dollars with Addison Reed and Jeurys Familia already set to earn roughly $20 million in arbitration?
The answer is a resounding no.
With Jansen projected to net himself a 4-5 year deal worth $60-75 million dollars, I think there’s way too many land mines when you spend that kind of money on a reliever.
Obviously, there’s a lot of risk when you dole out a 4 or 5 year deal to any pitcher, but adding Jansen also adds a different set of problems. How will instilling Jansen as your closer effect Familia and will it lead to the Papelbon affect?
We already know that Familia is a player who thrives when his confidence is high, but how does he handle being demoted to a setup role after he led the league in saves in a historic season?
The flip side to that is why would Jansen sign with a team that plans to use him in a setup role after a brilliant career that has made him one one of the top closers in baseball?
In 71 appearances for the Dodgers this past season, Jansen saved 47 games with a 1.83 ERA, 0.67 WHIP, and a whopping 104 strikeouts in 68.2 innings.
Jansen, 29, has delivered five consecutive stellar seasons and has put up some eye-popping numbers along the way to 189 saves.
But this isn’t about Jansen as much as it is about potentially usurping the best setup man and closer combination in the game with Reed and Familia. Do we really want to mess with that?
What the Mets need in the bullpen is a reliable reliever who could be a bridge to our current shutdown dynamic duo. That’s something that is much more feasible and will efficiently upgrade the pen without expending an inordinate amount of your budgeted payroll dollars.
Lets not be the team that gives Jansen that 5-year, $75 million contract. Instead, lets utilize our resources in addressing some of the team’s real needs and not throw huge dollars in fixing something that isn’t broke.
Sorry John Harper, try again. This isn’t the “big splash” that makes the Mets the best team in the league as you attest. Rather it’s an odd move that does nothing to address some of the real issues facing this team.
