By Chaim Bloom standards, the Red Sox just made a splash.

As first reported by Jeff Passan, the Red Sox have agreed to a two-year, $32 million deal with longtime former Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen. So, after years of uncertainty and up-and-down performances in the closer role, Bloom brings in an established guy to shut the door in the ninth inning.

Jansen, 35, has been something less than the dominant closer he was with the Dodgers from 2012-2017, when he posted a 2.04 ERA and 1.85 FIP over six seasons, with a season average of 38 saves. He peaked in 2017, when he led the National League with 41 saves and finished with a 5-0 record and 1.32 ERA. Jansen was fifth in Cy Young voting that year.

From 2018-22, Jansen’s ERA and FIP have dropped to 3.08 and 3.42, respectively, but he’s still an effective and productive closer. He led the NL in saves for the second time in his career in 2022, his only season with the Atlanta Braves, to earn himself a nice payday in Boston.

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There’s reason to be confident Jansen can still deliver in the ninth inning for the Red Sox. In Atlanta, he struck people out at his highest rate in five years (32.7 percent) and cut back significantly on the walks from 2021 with the Dodgers, from 4.7 per nine innings to 3.1 (per Fangraphs).

Jansen’s velocity also remained in the low-90s with his fastball and sinking fastball, which can still complement his low-80s slider. Here’s an area the Braves got a massive improvement: Jansen’s percentage of first-pitch strikes jumped from 61.9 percent to 68.5 percent in 2022. This and other advanced stats point to Jansen having his best season since 2017.

One possible area of concern with Jansen is whether he can keep the ball in the park. He allowed eight home runs in 65 appearances, double his total from 2021, and he allowed more fly balls in general – 55.1 percent in 2022, compared to 44.4 percent a year ago. But what could help him in Fenway Park is that he’s still dominant against righthanded hitters; righties batted just .175 with a .538 OPS against Jansen in 2022.

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – OCTOBER 12: Kenley Jansen #74 of the Atlanta Braves reacts during the ninth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies in game two of the National League Division Series at Truist Park on October 12, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

So, assuming the Red Sox get generally the same Jansen that the Dodgers and Braves got over the past five years, they’ve landed an established closer who was the best in the game at one point in his career, and still takes the mound with the mentality you need to thrive in the role.

It’ll take a lot more from Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom to make Red Sox fans feel good about the 2023 off-season. Xander Bogaerts is still hanging in the balance on the open market, and the team still needs to identify a designated hitter and add to the outfield. There’s still time, it’s just been a slow, borderline agonizing process for those waiting for the Red Sox to make significant moves.

The significance of the Jansen signing will be debated in the coming days, but in and of itself, it’s a strong move for a bullpen that needed legitimate talent.

Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @realmattdolloff. Check out all of Matt’s content here.