Ex-Red Sox Star Kenley Jansen Shares Why He Needed To Leave Boston Early

The former Red Sox star opened up

Aug 27, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Kenley Jansen (74) pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays during the ninth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox were fortunate to have Kenley Jansen as the team's closer for the last two seasons.

Jansen isn't with the organization any longer but brought consistency to the closer role that the club desperately needed. Boston had Matt Barnes as the team's closer in 2021 and he was an All-Star, but he faced some struggles afterward and Boston rotated different hurlers in and things didn't work out.

Jansen was everything the team could've hoped for over the last two years. He got a lot of negative press throughout the offseason as he had to leave the team with a few days left in the 2024 regular season. It certainly doesn't seem like the negative press was fair. He shared on the "Baseball Isn't Boring" podcast with WEEI's Rob Bradford that he had to leave due to his mother being ill.

"I have a tough time this offseason," Jansen said. "I can't neglect that, you know. I have to rush to Curaçao before the season ends, that's a part too. I went home and then I have to rush to Curaçao because my mom wasn't doing great. Luckily, she's still alive, but there's not a lot that they can do for her. She's still hanging and still being strong and I appreciate that and thank God for that she's still here with us. I have to spend three months basically in Curaçao this offseason."

First and foremost, hopefully, Jansen's mother is doing alright. Hopefully, he is okay as well and has the season he hopes for with Los Angeles.

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