Source: Stephen Dunn/Getty Images North America
When discussing how individual players were treated by their team this week, Los Angeles Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen may have the biggest gripe of any player this week. Jansen was looking forward to being the Dodgers closer next year, entering his final year before free agency, after a dominating season overall in 2015. Jansen knew he was the Dodgers guy in the late innings, and he was looking forward to another year of the same next year. All that was before the Dodgers went out and acquired another closer in Aroldis Chapman.
Following the information that came out about Chapman’s legal troubles, Jansen finds himself the closer once again, but with quite a bit of self doubt and perhaps some hurt feelings. With the acquisition of Chapman, the Dodgers made it clear that Jansen was expendable in the closer role, as they were likely going to demote him to the set-up man in favor of Chapman. Now that Chapman is no longer going to be a Dodger, the team is stuck with a closer whose confidence has been shaken and whose faith in his team may have evaporated. The Dodgers now have an even bigger problem on their hands than they would have otherwise. For that, Jansen is a big loser following the Winter Meetings.
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