Padres Reportedly Looking Into Former NL West Rival All-Star Closer

The San Diego Padres front office has been looking all across the league for help within their roster. Their goal entering the offseason was to shed salary, and they've done just that.

However, there are still holes on the roster that need to be filled. One of which could come in the form of the team acquiring a more established closer.

The New York Post's Jon Heyman has reported that the Padres are among the candidates for former Los Angeles Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen. He is currently with the Boston Red Sox, but Boston has been looking to possibly move him all winter.

"And the Padres and Dodgers are among candidates for Jansen"

Per Jon Heyman of The New York Post

The Padres lost closer Josh Hader to the Houston Astros in free agency, and they haven't named anyone to replace him. If anything, San Diego has planned on using a closer-by-committee approach to everything this coming season.

Bringing in Jansen would further add to the already strong bullpen that the Padres process, and he could take over as the typical 9th-inning shutdown pitcher. Jansen was good for the Red Sox last season, earning a spot on the American League All-Star team.

He posted an ERA of 3.63 but was very efficient in save situations. The veteran closer put up 29 saves and had an ERA of 0.65 in save situations.

Jansen could be a solid get for the Padres as they look to get themselves back to the postseason in 2024. There have been reports that the Dodgers have looked into potentially adding Jansen back in so the Padres landing him would keep him from returning to Los Angeles.

It remains to be seen if San Diego believes they need another bullpen arm, but Jansen could provide more veteran experience in late-game situations. Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller has been known to pull rabbits out of hats, and maybe he will do it again with a trade for Jansen.