On today’s episode of “as the Kenley turns,” Jansen’s status is the question for Dave Roberts. The closer has been stronger in September, but still has blown 4 of his last 8 save opportunities overall. After ultimately falling short of the October goal in each of the last two years, Roberts says he’s ready to do what is best for the team in 2019.
It's time for our weekly edition of: "How much faith does Dave Roberts have in Kenley Jansen?"
Today, the #Dodgers manager is "not losing faith" in his closer, but… #LABleedsBlue pic.twitter.com/BxDAYgYZA5
— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) September 20, 2019
The manager shared his thoughts on a question he’s been asked all too frequently.
I’m not losing faith and confidence — and I’ve been very outspoken in support of Kenley — but I will say this, and I said this at the beginning of my tenure is that my job is to do the best thing for the Dodgers and not one individual player.
So as we kind of kick the can down the road, there’s a point that yeah, you’ve got to be productive and be consistent and get outs… my loyalty has to be to the Dodgers.
Roberts went on to add that he’s “leaving it open ended” and that he “doesn’t think it’ll get to that point,” but this marks a bit of a change in his usually unwavering support of his closer.
In a season where Jansen has a career high 8 blown saves and an ERA pushing up near 4, Dave has to seriously consider the bigger picture for the team, the fan base, and most importantly himself. While he did ink a 3-year contract extension last off-season, there’s no telling what could happen if the Dodgers fail once more in October.
While his status is likely not close to being in question, coming up short three times in a row may deserve that questions be asked.
