Analysis: Jansen's historic move and role challenges in Detroit

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00:00You know what's truly wild Kenley Jansen, now 38, just signed a one-year deal with the Detroit Tigers,

00:07and on a Zoom call this week, he shared a full-circle story that gives you chills,

00:11back when he was a 20-year-old catcher playing low-A ball for the Great Lakes Loons,

00:15in the Dodgers system, his host family took him on a day off to see the old Tiger Stadium,

00:20then they saw the new stadium, he stood there, envisioning his dream of making the big leagues,

00:25as a catcher, now, years later he's putting on the Tiger uniform, think about what that 20-year-old

00:31would have thought, not just about making it, but about becoming a 38-year-old closer,

00:35that summer he was a Midwest League all-star catcher, but he finished the season batting 227,

00:41the next year, with his average around $200 in advanced A, he moved from behind the plate,

00:47and made his professional pitching debut, the rest, as they say, is history, he arrives in Detroit on

00:53the brink of history, with 476 career Major League saves, he's just two away from tying Hall of Famer

01:01Lee Smith for third all-time, and 24 saves away from joining the legendary 500-save club with

01:07Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman, a milestone that would seal his own Hall of Fame case.

01:14But here's the thing, there's no guarantee he gets those saves in Detroit, manager A.J. Hinch

01:19has largely used his bullpen based on leverage, not a set closer role, Jansen and Hinch talked before

01:25the signing, Jansen said the conversation covered everything, how he's been used before, four or

01:31five out saves, the roles, Jansen's message was clear, you're the manager, so it's up to you,

01:37he understands he's chasing 500, but he stated, at the end of the day, it's about winning, he saw the

01:43Tigers last year, felt they were just a couple of arms away from a deeper playoff run, and it made

01:48him want to be a part of it, he's tired of watching the playoffs from home, the Tigers have wanted him

01:53for a while, they showed interest last offseason, and again before the trade deadline last July,

01:59they made the postseason thanks in part to adding a reliever like Kyle Finnegan, who adapted to a new

02:05role, this doesn't mean Jansen won't close, Hinch has used set closers before, and could build the

02:11bullpen to get to Jansen in the ninth, but Jansen is ready for anything, he reiterated, it's about winning,

02:17achieving 500 saves would be unbelievable, but he told Hinch he didn't play this game just to get

02:24that number, it came from being on great teams and taking great opportunities, his focus now,

02:29helping the Tigers win, the ultimate accomplishment for him, getting deep into the postseason and

02:34winning a world series with Detroit, so here's a man at a legendary crossroads, choosing team glory

02:39over personal milestone guarantees, do you think a player's legacy is defined more by iconic numbers,

02:44or by what they sacrifice to chase a ring?

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