Kenley Jansen's Instagram post gives Tigers' signing extra meaning for 2026

Kenley Jansen signing a one-year deal with the Tigers was a surprising but welcome move for a bullpen that definitely still had work to do even after getting Kyle Finnegan back. Jansen isn't exactly in his prime anymore, but his 2025 with the Angels was undoubtedly his best season since leaving the Dodgers in 2021.

Jansen, Finnegan, and Will Vest give the Tigers a reliable 1-2-3 to go to in late innings, with some flexibility all around. It won't be surprising if we see them switching up between the seventh and ninth throughout the season.

Jansen has spent the vast majority of his career in the LA area — 12 seasons with the Dodgers, one with the Angels, sandwiching one year with the Braves and two with the Red Sox — but he's already embracing the Tigers and Detroit.

Following the signing, he posted a picture of himself and a teammate outside of Tiger Stadium right before its demolition in 2008, with the caption: "On an off day from Great Lakes watching old Tiger Stadium to now with the Tigers! I'm excited!"

Not just settling for Detroit but rather embracing it is a very good way to get off on the right foot with fans.

Kenley Jansen celebrated Tigers signing with surprisingly touching post on Instagram

Jansen signed with the Dodgers as an undrafted free agent catcher in 2004 and spent a year and a half with LA's Class A affiliate — the Great Lakes Loons in Midland, MI — in 2007 and 2008. He transitioned into a bullpen role the following season, after leaving the Loons. The Dodgers, who have always had an infuriating knack for sniffing out and developing great pitching talent, promoted him to the majors in 2010. He pitched 27 innings for an 0.67 ERA.

As a four-time All-Star and former Rookie of the Year, Cy Young, and even MVP candidate, the Tigers could've done a lot worse than Jansen, even if his name hasn't been one of the most prominent in a free agent class stacked with closers (Edwin Díaz, Robert Suarez, Devin Williams, and Ryan Helsley, just to name a few).

He's managed to stay mostly healthy throughout his entire career, even now that he's well into his late 30s, and maybe Chris Fetter will even be able to unlock another All-Star season.

At least one more bullpen arm would lend some extra reassurance, but Jansen's presence is already a step above what fans expected after a dead Winter Meetings.