The Boston Red Sox signed closer Kenley Jansen to a two-year, $32 million deal after he finished the 2022 season, his lone with the Atlanta Braves.
At that point, Boston believed they were going to be consistent World Series contenders starting at some point during his contract, and he'd have a chance to win again.
“There was a lot of teams involved,” Jansen said (via. MassLive). “A.C. (Alex Cora) and Chaim (Bloom) at that time convinced me really well that they’d definitely contend for a title that second year. Of course, things sometimes change.”
WATCH: Red Sox vs. Yankees locally on NESN for free with fuboTV
Now, as the Red Sox near the end of the 2024 season, they're 3.5 games out of the final American League Wild Card spot with 13 games to go and two teams ahead of them.
Failing to make the playoffs this year will mark four straight seasons without even sniffing a Wild Card game.
The end of the 2024 season also spells the end of Jansen's contract, and he's disappointed by what's happened during his tenure in Boston.
“I don’t know what to say,” Jansen said. “For me, I’m a guy who always wanted to make it to the playoffs. Where I came from, it was always titles. We fell short last year. This year, we’re still in it but for me, it’s disappointing. That’s who I am. You want to get to the playoffs and play for a championship."
The Red Sox should be better in 2025, with the team theoretically having money to spend and a number of their top free agents about to make it to the big leagues. But, that doesn't mean Jansen will be set on coming back for a third season.
“I’m always gonna look for winning. Contending,” Jansen said. “That’s going to be my priority. My agent will do the rest. I want to be in a situation where we can contend for a title. That’s it.”
Still, despite how things have gone, the closer would still like to see Boston win again.
“It ended up being the opposite,” Jansen said. “But there’s a switch, also, too, after my first year (from Bloom to Craig Breslow). They switched the front office a little bit. The vision — I’m not saying it changed — but maybe they’re looking more for the future. I want to see this team, soon here, raise a championship. This city deserves it.”
MORE RED SOX NEWS
Yankees pitcher shows he’s terrified of Rafael Devers
Red Sox call up a top pitching prospect
Update on Tanner Houck’s health after being scratched on Friday
Red Sox demoting reliever after rough outing vs. Yankees
