The Mets were in the running to sign a closer who would probably be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
The Mets “talked” with Kenley Jansen’s camp before switching to right-hander Ryne Stanek, according to a report by MLB sources Will Sammon and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Mariano Rivera, who holds the record with 652 saves, and Trevor Hoffman, who has 601 saves, are the only two relievers in Major League Baseball to ever record 500 or more saves. With 447 saves, Jansen is presently fourth on the list, trailing only Lee Smith’s 478 saves.
Smith, Rivera, and Hoffman are all Hall of Famers.
Jansen has been one of the game’s most dependable bullpen relievers for more than 15 seasons. He has made 871 appearances for three clubs over that time: the Dodgers, Braves, and Red Sox. He has a 2.57 ERA, 1,221 strikeouts, and an MLB-high 24.8 fWAR among closers over 868 1/3 .
Stanek was traded over from Seattle and signed with the Mets at the trade deadline last year. In 17 games with the Mets, he recorded 23 strikeouts and a 6.06 ERA.
In the postseason, he improved his performance, giving up just two runs in his first six outings (eight innings). In Game 1 of the National League Divisional Series, Game 3 of the NLDS, and Game 1 of the Wild Card Series, he recorded the last outs.
Stanek faced Milwaukee in the Wild Card Series and tossed two flawless innings.
