Kenley Jansen, fresh off signing a one-year, $9 million contract with the Detroit Tigers (with a 2027 club option), reflected on a poignant memory from his early prospect days. In 2008, the then-20-year-old Dodgers catcher prospect visited the demolition site of old Tiger Stadium, dreaming of the majors—now, at 38, he's wearing the uniform.
During a Zoom call with reporters after the deal was announced earlier this week, Jansen recounted standing on a Detroit street corner in the summer of 2008 with his host family from his time with the Dodgers' Great Lakes Loons in low-A ball. "You know, it’s crazy," the 38-year-old said. "I was with my host family... And talking with them, I’d always talk about my dream, how bad I wanted to be in the big leagues, as a catcher at that time. And on a day off, they took me there... Everything comes back now, years later, and now I’m wearing a Tiger uniform."
That season, Jansen was a Midwest League All-Star catcher but struggled at the plate. The following year, he converted to pitching, embarking on a Hall of Fame-caliber relief career.
The Tigers had shown prior interest in Jansen, and under manager A.J. Hinch, he looks forward to contributing flexibly to a team that reached the postseason last year. "The minute I talked to him, I had a great feeling," Jansen said of Hinch. While aware of personal milestones like 500 saves, he prioritized winning: "The greater accomplishment will be to try to get deep in the postseason and win the World Series with the Tigers."
