Dodgers sign Kenley Jansen to 5-year, $80 million deal

The Dodgers have re-signed their closer Kenley Jansen to a five-year deal worth $80 million. According to a report from Jim Bowden of ESPN, Jansen will be returning to Los Angeles after testing free agency for the past month.

Both Jansen and Turner have been involved in rumors with their former team throughout the offseason. A deal between the Dodgers and Turner seemed to be progressing Monday morning as the Dodgers were growing “increasingly confident” according to Buster Olney. The deal was rumored to be in the four-year range.

Jansen was the lone elite reliever available on the market and has certainly had his share of suitors. At one point, the Marlins seemed like the likely destination, but with Mark Melancon officially with the Giants, and Aroldis Chapman officially with the Yankees, the Dodgers were down to just one option in free agency.

The Dodgers were never that seriously tied to Chapman or Melancon, and Jansen seemed like their primary objective as closer. The same cannot be said of Turner however, as the Dodgers were actively tied to rumors surrounding Brian Dozier, Logan Forsythe, Todd Frazier, and Yangervis Solarte.

The 29-year-old closer is coming off of his most dominant season yet, pitching 68.2 innings and striking out 104 batters while walking just 11. While Chapman got a five-year deal worth $86 million and Melancon got a four-year deal worth $62 million, there was little doubt that Jansen’s value would likely settle between those two. While terms of Jansen’s deal are not yet known, it’s worth noting that both Chapman and Melancon got opt-outs in their deals, and Jansen’s will likely include one as well.