Kenley Jansen will have to keep dreaming about Dodgers reunion after Kirby Yates deal

While the Los Angeles Dodgers' reported signing of Kirby Yates hasn't yet been finalized, it feels somewhat inevitable unless his physical puts up any glaring red flags. LA made Tanner Scott's deal official on Jan. 23, giving the Dodgers four potential closer options with Michael Kopech and Evan Phillips in the mix.

Now, do the Dodgers need four viable closers? No. But it's unlikely that any one of them will be LA's closer-with-a-capital-C, and both Scott and Yates are coming off of fantastic seasons that indicate promise in whatever role the Dodgers want to employ them in.

That leaves a perennial Dodgers rumored target on the outside looking in. Former Dodger Kenley Jansen has repeatedly been linked to his former club since he left in 2021 and has expressed interest in retiring in LA. It's unclear how much love the Dodgers have given back, as these rumors are often completely speculative "fits."

TMZ accosted Jansen at an airport recently and asked if he would be interested in re-signing with the Dodgers. He said, "You never know. I'm a free agent, so we'll see where it goes. I'm ready to play, wherever it is."

Possibility of a Kenley Jansen reunion with Dodgers seems dead after Tanner Scott, Kirby Yates signings

Well, it probably won't be in LA. Even though the Dodgers are clearly never done, even when everyone thinks they are, it's unlikely that Jansen fits into the powerhouse picture the Dodgers are trying to create here. He's not bad, but he's plateaued around a 3.50 ERA over the last three seasons and didn't make himself look good when he when AWOL on the Red Sox before the official end of the regular season.

Scott had a 1.75 ERA last season, and Yates was even better at 1.17. Those are the kind of guys that the Dodgers are after, and sentimentality can only get you so far.

There's always the opportunity for Jansen to retire as a Dodger on a one-day contract sometime in the future, but it's unlikely that the last pitch he ever throws as a major league pitcher will be for his original team. He'll always have his NL-leading 41 saves in 2017, major league-leading 24 games finished in 2020, and career 2.37 ERA as a Dodger and, if he's still set on returning to LA, he might be better off looking back on those numbers fondly instead of chasing a new contract with a team that's already moved on.