When the Detroit Tigers signed Kenley Jansen to a one-year, $11 million contract in December of 2025, the math made sense for the team. It was a team-friendly contract of $9 million base salary and a $12 million club option for 2027.

Jansen was coming off a stellar run with the Los Angeles Angels. In 2025, he had 29 saves and a 2.59 ERA. He was working his way toward joining one of the most elite and exclusive clubs in baseball for pitchers with 500 career saves.

For the Tigers, adding him to a pitching staff that boasts some of the best in the business, with two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal as the anchor, this felt like exactly the right move.…