Dodgers' reunion with Kenley Jansen dead after former closer lands with rival

The Dodgers might've engaged in what Ken Rosenthal dubbed "overkill" when they signed not one but two potential closer candidates this offseason, but no one can say that the bullpen doesn't look unhittable if they can stay healthy. Tanner Scott's contract made him the third highest-paid reliever in baseball after a sub-2.00 ERA season with the Padres and Marlins, and Kirby Yates is coming off a close to 1.00 ERA year.

Scott and Yates, alongside Michael Kopech and Evan Phillips, give the Dodgers plenty of options for backend relievers. Dave Roberts said Scott would get the bulk of the saves to start the season, but if (knock on wood) something were to happen to him sometime in the season, there are three backups ready to go.

Scott and Yates were inarguably in the higher tiers of free agent relievers, and the rest have slowly been coming off the board as spring training gets closer.

Former Dodger Kenley Jansen was the latest to go. On Tuesday, Jon Heyman reported that he agreed to a one-year, $10 million deal with the Angels.

Former Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen signs one-year deal with Angels

Jansen has been interested in a reunion with the Dodgers pretty much ever since he left after 2021, and he's probably even shot his own free agency in the foot by saying that he'd like to retire in Dodger blue. This offseason, when asked about his free agency and if he'd go back to the Dodgers, he said he was "ready to play, wherever it is."

That was after the Dodgers had already gotten Scott and Yates, so the chances were close to none that he would come back to LA despite his previous pleas. The Red Sox weren't an option either, given that Jansen left the team early last year, when their postseason aspirations were officially dead.

The Angels, while not quite as big of bottom-feeders as, say, the Marlins, won't fix all of their problems just because they made a couple of nice signings this offseason. Yusei Kikuchi was one of the first starters to come off the board and go to Anaheim, and now they have a proper closer in Jansen.

However, they also had to sign Yoán Moncada to replace Anthony Rendon at third, despite them still owing Rendon over $77 million over the next two years. There are no guarantees about Mike Trout's health, which could leave holes in their roster.

Well, at least Jansen got to come back to LA one way or the other, even if he'll have to deal with it being diet-LA.