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New York Mets: Could they target Kenley Jansen in free agency?

By Jason Evans

Oct 18, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Kenley Jansen (74) pitches during the eighth inning against the Chicago Cubs in game three of the 2016 NLCS playoff baseball series at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 18, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Kenley Jansen (74) pitches during the eighth inning against the Chicago Cubs in game three of the 2016 NLCS playoff baseball series at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /
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As teams focus more on building super-pens than ever before, could the New York Mets build their own by targeting Kenley Jansen in free agency?

Sports are copycat leagues. Period. Oh, you won a Super Bowl by unleashing four defensive ends at the same time as a pass rush scheme? We all are going to do that. Want to win a title by unleashing a three point barrage unlike anyone has ever seen before? We all are going to do that.

Hey Kansas City Royals, want to win a championship in large part due to a lock-down end of game bullpen? Everyone is going to now. Just ask the Cleveland Indians. They’ve ridden their bullpen to the AL Pennant.

Two big bullpen arms involved in the NLCS are going to be free agents in Kenley Jansen and Aroldis Chapman.

Chapman has already pitched in New York this season, but could Jansen be an option in Queens? 

"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.I can’t say it’s more important than making sure they don’t let Yoenis Cespedes get away — that has to be their first priority.But otherwise, well, if the Mets are willing to make Neil Walker a qualifying offer, which will cost $17.2 million for next season, as seems quite possible, I’d make the case they’d be better off allocating such resources toward Jansen.As long as they find a way to keep Cespedes, the Mets would be okay at second base using some combination of Wilmer Flores, T.J. Rivera, and possibly Jose Reyes if David Wright returns from his neck surgery to prove he can still play third base."

That’s a bold strategy Cotton, let’s see how this can play out for them.

The New York Mets need Cespedes more than Jansen. Cespedes is their straw that stirs the drink. Let’s say they keep Cespedes for close to the same money and call it around even. The Mets need to keep Walker as well. Yes, there are going to be questions coming off back surgery, but you can’t go into next season without really knowing who will be at second and third. Can Wright play anymore? I’m not so sure and I don’t think the Mets are either.

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Jay Bruce‘s option needs to be picked up as a trade asset. Whoever misses out on guys like Jose Bautista and Mark Trumbo in free agency may come calling and give the Mets some nice prospects for him. It would also save $13 million that they would use on their own players arbitration cases and not necessarily outside pickups.

The Mets young pitching is about to get a little more expensive with Jacob DeGrom now arbitration eligble along with Matt Harvey, Jeurys Familia and Zack Wheeler.

Jansen, Familia and Addison Reed would form a lethal late game trio. How would Familia take being demoted from the closer role? Not everyone is Andrew Miller and able to pitch whenever. You’re not paying Jansen $17 million to setup that’s for sure.

Secondly, what about the Wilpon recent regime makes you think they would actually do that? It’s not like the Mets have Mark Cuban owning them.

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Would the addition of Jansen make sense? Sure, but with big contracts coming up for the homegrown starting rotation, and a frugal (in big market terms) ownership, I can’t see Jansen going to Queens if he comes to New York.

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