Could familiar former Dodger rejoin bullpen if Tanner Scott chase doesn't pan out?

Rumors about Kenley Jansen coming back to the Dodgers have been cropping up basically from the minute he left. He departed after the 2021 season, his 12th with the organization, and signed a one-year deal with the Braves before moving to the Red Sox for a somewhat fraught two-year stint. He seemed to have a foot out the door throughout 2024 and even made a plea to retire in Dodger blue close to the trade deadline, while rumors of a reunion peaked again.

Jansen had a decent year in his age-36 season and apparently plans to pitch into his 40s. The Dodgers have had their eyes set on a few different closer candidates this offseason in Devin Williams and Tanner Scott, but they lost Williams to the Yankees while movement with Scott seems to have stalled, and he's been having conversations with other teams.

Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic speculated that the Dodgers could think about bringing Jansen back as a Plan B if Scott (who is, himself, kind of a Plan B to Williams) doesn't pan out for them. But if LA already has Michael Kopech — who's younger, cheaper, and only gave up three earned runs in 24 innings for the Dodgers after the trade deadline — how plausible is a Jansen reunion, really?

Fabian Ardaya names Kenley Jansen as a potential closer candidate if Dodgers don't get Tanner Scott

The Dodgers always want to upgrade no matter the cost, which made it easier to justify their chases for Williams and Scott even with Kopech (and maybe Evan Phillips, if he can clean up his act from the second half of last season) in the bullpen as a clear closing option. However, as effective as Jansen can be, he's not exactly an upgrade with his steady decline over the past three years.

There were reasons to worry about Kopech during the first half of his season with the White Sox; he pitched an immaculate inning but also carried a 4.74 ERA. However, he emerged out from under the dark cloud hanging above Guaranteed Rate Field when he got to LA and finished the season strong, closing nine games for them.

ESPN's Kiley McDaniel projected Jansen would receive a two-year, $25 million deal wherever he ends up next, but it would be hard for the Dodgers to justify that kind of spending when they already have a perfectly good (better, even) option on the roster. Then again, "Jansen back to the Dodgers" rumors are perennial at this point, so it felt like it had to be suggested while he was still available in free agency.