DETROIT — The Detroit Tigers have signed veteran closer Kenley Jansen to a one-year deal.
ESPN first reported the agreement, which includes a club option for 2027. USA Today reported that he will earn $11 million in 2026.
Jansen, a 38-year-old native of Curacao, has pitched in parts of 16 big-league seasons for four different teams. He has 476 career saves, fourth on the all-time list behind Hall-of-Famers Lee Smith (478), Trevor Hoffman (601) and Mariano Rivera (652).
He’s the second veteran right-handed reliever added by the Tigers in the last week, joining Kyle Finnegan, who agreed to a two-year deal that has not yet been publicly announced.
Jansen came up as a catcher in the Los Angeles Dodgers system — that was his primary position with the Great Lakes Loons in Midland — and had a strong arm but a weak bat. He started the conversion to pitcher in 2009 and then made his MLB debut in 2010. By 2012, he was the Dodgers’ closer, a tenure that would last for most of the next decade.
After leaving L.A., Jansen pitched for the Atlanta Braves in 2022, the Boston Red Sox in 2023 and 2024 and the Los Angeles Angels in 2025.
Last year, he had a 2.59 ERA (3.98 FIP) in 59 innings, striking out 57 and walking 19.
Six of the 17 earned runs he allowed all season came in a partial inning against the Tigers on May 2. Riley Greene, Colt Keith and Javier Báez all homered off Jansen. Greene later came up again in the inning and hit a second homer against a new pitcher, becoming the first player in MLB history to hit two home runs in the ninth inning of a game.
Jansen pitched against the Tigers the following day, earning a save, and finished the season with a 1.97 ERA in 50 innings after his meltdown against Detroit.
The Tigers had identified the bullpen as a major area of need this winter. The Jansen and Finnegan join Will Vest and lefty Tyler Holton as having locked-up spots in the pen.
The Tigers will need to drop one player from the 40-man roster when the signings of Finnegan and Jansen are finalized.
TIGERS’ 40-MAN ROSTER (41)
Left-handed pitchers (6): Tyler Holton, Bailey Horn, Brant Hurter, Jake Miller, Tarik Skubal, Drew Sommers.
Right-handed pitchers (15): Drew Anderson, Beau Brieske, Kyle Finnegan, Jack Flaherty, Sawyer Gipson-Long, Brenan Hanifee, Kenley Jansen, Jackson Jobe, Ty Madden, Troy Melton, Casey Mize, Keider Montero, Reese Olson, Dylan Smith, Will Vest.
Catchers (4): Dillon Dingler, Thayron Liranzo, Jake Rogers, Eduardo Valencia.
Infielders (9): Javier Báez, Trei Cruz, Jace Jung, Colt Keith, Hao-Yu Lee, Zach McKinstry, Trey Sweeney, Spencer Torkelson, Gleyber Torres.
Outfielders (7): Kerry Carpenter, Riley Greene, Jahmai Jones, Justyn-Henry Malloy, Parker Meadows, Wenceel Pérez, Matt Vierling.