Detroit Tigers, closer Kenley Jansen finalize $11 million, 1-year contract with 2026 club option

DETROIT (AP) — Closer Kenley Jansen and the Detroit Tigers finalized an $11 million, one-year contract on Wednesday that includes a club option for 2026.

Jansen, fourth on the career list with 476 saves, gets a $9 million salary next season and the Tigers hold a $12 million option with a $2 million buyout.

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A 38-year-old right-hander, Jansen is a four-time All-Star who was NL Reliever of the Year in 2016 and 2017. He trails only Hall of Famers Mariano Rivera (652), Trevor Hoffman (601) and Lee Smith (478) in saves.

Jansen leads active players with 933 appearances, including 62 last season with the Los Angeles Angels. He was 5-4 with a 2.59 ERA and had 29 saves in 30 chances in 2025 after signing a $10 million, one-year deal with the Angels.

He had 25 or more saves in each of the last 13 non-shortened seasons. He had 40-plus saves for the fourth time in 2022 when he led the NL with 41 for Atlanta.

The 6-foot-5, 265-pound Jansen helped teams advance to the postseason 10 times, including in 2020 with the World Series champion Dodgers.

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He signed with the Dodgers as a catcher out of Curaçao at the age of 17 in 2004, became a pitcher in 2009 and was with the franchise from 2010-21. He went on to play with the Braves for one season, in Boston for two years and with the Angels in 2025.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB