Dodgers Rumors: Kenley Jansen Exercises Contract Option, Avoids Free Agency

Kenley Jansen will remain with the Los Angeles Dodgers after declining to opt out of his contract, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network. 

The closer initially signed a five-year, $80 million contract in 2017, but the deal gave the player an opt-out after three years. With $38 million still owed over the next two years, Jansen decided to stick with the deal rather than test free agency.

This move isn't a surprising one considering his struggles over the past season.

The 32-year-old posted a 3.71 ERA in 2019, the lowest of his career for a pitcher with a 2.35 mark over 10 years in the majors. Though he saved 33 games for a team that won 106 games, he had a career-worst eight blown saves in his 63 innings.

Los Angeles then barely used him in the division series loss to the Washington Nationals, pitching 1.2 total innings in the five-game series. One of his two appearances came late in the 10th inning after the Dodgers had effectively blown the final game.

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman couldn't confirm Jansen would remain the closer in 2020, a role he has had since 2012.

"We'll see how things play out," Friedman said in October, per Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. "He feels good. And there were decent chunks of time this year when everything synced up and his stuff was objectively better, and other times he struggled more, and I think it's about his delivery.

"I will absolutely bet on him," he added. "I'm excited of what he's capable of next year. His role, I don't exactly know right now."

Now that he is definitely returning to Los Angeles, the team will need to decide what to do with the talented pitcher.

Despite his recent struggles, Jansen earned three straight All-Star selections from 2016-18, earning Cy Young and MVP votes in 2017. His ERA was below 3.00 and his strikeouts-per-nine figure was above 13 in every season from 2010-17.

The Dodgers will hope he can return to this level of dominance next season as the squad once again aims to contend for a World Series title in 2020.