VENICE, Fla. – Kenley Jansen remembers watching in awe from the Los Angeles Dodgers’ bullpen as the Atlanta Braves’ relief pitchers, led by Tyler Matzek and Will Smith, excelled in last season’s National League Championship Series.
The bullpen dubbed the “Night Shift” led the Braves past the Dodgers and onto the franchise’s first World Series championship since 1995.
Now Jansen’s goal is to help make the Braves’ bullpen even better this year. Thanks to the additions of Jansen and Collin McHugh, Atlanta’s relief corps ranks as one of the deepest in Major League Baseball and is seen as a major strength of the Braves.
“It’s going to be awesome to be here and see what we can do,” Jansen said Wednesday. “I watched it from the other side, and it was nasty. I can’t wait to see us dominate again this year.”
In a surprise signing, the 34-year-old right-hander came to the reigning champions on a one-year, $18 million deal announced late Friday night by Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos. The move was unexpected because the bullpen already looked set.