Add Bobby Jenks to the list of newly acquired players for the upcoming baseball season. A move that not only adds depth, but some serious width now as well. A big guy with some baggage, but has the potential of making a big impact. A former closer with the Chicago White Sox, he possesses a filthy plus 90's fastball and a devastating breaking ball, which allowed him to pile up 167 saves over the previous five seasons.
The terms of the deal appear to be a two-year deal worth $12 million. This is a relatively inexpensive alternative to a Joaquin Benoit type who signed with Tigers for $16 million over three years. That's quite a commitment for a journeyman, setup reliever with absolutely no closing experience.
Jenks' stats have, however, been on the decline for the past three years. Coming off of the poorest season of his career with a 4.44 ERA and 1.37 WHIP, he still managed to collect a respectable 27 saves to go along with four blown saves (just for comparison sake, Papelbon had 37 saves with eight blown saves).
Pitch control issues have not been the only vice that has plagued Jenks in the past few seasons. At 6'4" and a whopping 275 pounds, he is basically the real life equivalent of Kenny Powers only with a way sweeter goatee (see pic above). Several baseball scouts believe that his weight control issues effect his performance more than any other factor. Personally, I think it will be another great little rivalry within the rivalry with the Yankees to see who can field the fattest pitcher... He's definitely going to give old Cheese Cake Sabathia a run for his lunch money.
Seriously, though, with the proper direction and structured dietary plan, he really could play a prominent role in a far less pressure-packed spot in the Boston bullpen. I still believe that management is searching for one more defining piece to complete this restructuring process, but this was another good move in an effort to separate the Sox even further ahead of the rest of the AL East.
Look for the Red Sox to make a serious offer to reel in Brian Fuentes, another former closer who is widely considered as the premier left-handed bullpen option left on the free agent market. This void desperately needs to be addressed, especially with the loss of Hideki Okajima. This could be the finalizing deal that would close out a fantastic off season, or as Bobby Jenks might describe it: The icing on the cake!
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