Jansen grew up a fan of the Braves. | Kenley Jansen/Facebook
Jansen grew up a fan of the Braves. | Kenley Jansen/Facebook
Top-flight reliever Kenley Jansen has left the Los Angeles Dodgers to sign with the defending champions, the Atlanta Braves.
Jansen signed a $16 million one-year deal with the Braves, the team reported in a release. He originally joined the L.A. Dodgers at age 17 and leaves the team after 17 seasons with the team.
"It's awesome to put this uniform on," Jansen said in a video on the Braves' site. "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. Growing up, I was a big Fred McGriff fan, and then the next thing you know, Andruw Jones gets to the World Series and hits two home runs."
Jansen grew up a fan of the Braves, who had fellow Curacao native Andruw Jones and his own brother within their roster, the Braves reported.
He signed to join Atlanta during the same week that now-former longtime Brave Freddie Freeman left to play for the Dodgers, the Braves reported.
"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."
Jansen will have to face his former teammates on April 18-20, when the Braves face off against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, the Braves reported.
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