Top-flight reliever Kenley Jansen has bolted the L.A. Dodgers to sign a one-year, $16 million deal with the defending champion Atlanta Braves.
Jansen pointed to his childhood dream of donning the Braves uniform, recalling the days when his passion for the sport stemmed from watching his older brother Ardley and Curacao native Andruw Jones play for the team, a recent release on MLB.com said.
"It's awesome to put this uniform on," Jansen told MLB.com. "This is where it all started for me. This is where the hope started. This is where the dream to become a Major Leaguer started."
After playing for the L.A. Dodgers for 17 seasons, Jansen signed to join as the closer for Atlanta during the same week that now-former longtime Brave Freddie Freeman left to join the Dodgers.
"It's about how can we bring another championship to the Braves' fans," Jansen said in the release. "I'm here to do whatever we can to win ballgames."
As defending champions, the Braves have spent the past week doing what they can to put the team on track for success this year as well, the release said. The addition of Jansen gives the team one of eight pitchers in MLB history to have at least 350 saves and 1,000 strikeouts.
It won't be long before Jansen returns home. The Braves will go against the Dodgers in a National League Championship Series-rematch at Dodger Stadium April 18-20.
"It was an emotional day a few days ago for me to make this decision," Jansen told MLB.com. "[Going back to Los Angeles] hopefully will not be emotional, but it could be very emotional."
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