Kenley Jansen may have done the Dodgers a favor without ever throwing a pitch in Los Angeles.
On Wednesday, the veteran closer turned in another clean outing for the Tigers, working an inning against the Orioles with one walk, one strikeout and no runs allowed. It was his third straight scoreless appearance, and it came on a day when Detroit’s bullpen once again gave away a game that should have been under control. Tarik Skubal was lifted after allowing just one earned run with a 7-1 lead, only for the Tigers to cough up the rest in a 10-9 loss.
That kind of result only adds fuel to the trade chatter already circling Skubal, the two-time AL Cy Young winner the Dodgers are expected to check in on. And if Los Angeles is going to pay the kind of price that would come with landing him - a young MLB-ready starter plus more prospect capital - then Jansen suddenly looks like a useful extra piece to ask about, too.
The fit in Detroit has never looked especially natural. The Tigers built their bullpen around flexibility, with Tyler Holton, Will Vest and Kyle Finnegan handling major roles last postseason.
Instead of leaning harder into that model, AJ Hinch and Scott Harris went with more defined roles, and Jansen was asked to be a closer again. He has been chasing records for most of his career, but the setup hasn’t clicked the same way in Detroit.
The numbers tell the story. Jansen owns a career 2.60 ERA and 488 saves, which ranks third all-time.
With the Tigers, though, his ERA sits at 3.90. That gap stands out, and it raises the obvious question: is the issue Jansen, or is something else off around him?
For the Dodgers, the answer may not matter much. Their bullpen needs help, especially late in games, and Jansen would give them another proven arm for the stretch run and the playoffs.
Right now, LA’s back end is basically Edwin Diaz and Tanner Scott, both former All-Star closers. Adding Jansen to that group would give the Dodgers even more firepower in the seventh inning and beyond.
There’s also a broader roster logic here. If the Dodgers are going to pursue Skubal, then folding Jansen into the conversation could help them get more out of the deal.
Detroit may not want to sell off everything, but Wednesday’s collapse hardly helped its case for standing pat. The Tigers had a seven-run lead and still found a way to lose, and it wasn’t the first time.
That’s why this feels like one of those rare deadline situations where both sides can point to a need. The Dodgers want pitching help.
The Tigers have pieces that could be packaged together. And Jansen’s latest scoreless outing only makes him look more like a name Los Angeles should be considering if it’s serious about Skubal.
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