Kenley Jansen

Jansen stays with Dodgers, who decline Gyorko option

Published Nov. 3, 2019 1:01 a.m. ET

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen has decided not to opt out of his contract with Los Angeles.

The NL West champions declined a $13 million option on 31-year-old infielder Jedd Gyorko, who gets a $1 million buyout.

Jansen, a 32-year-old right-hander, agreed to an $80 million, five-year contract in January 2017 and could have terminated the deal this weekend and become a free agent.

His contract calls for salaries of $18 million next year and $20 million in 2021.

Jansen was an All-Star every year from 2016-18, but his ERA has risen from 1.32 in 2017 to 3.01 in 2018 to a career-high 3.71 this year while his strikeouts have dropped from 109 to 82 to 80. He was bothered by an irregular heartbeat in 2018.

Acquired from St. Louis on July 31, Gyorko hit .139 with two RBIs in 39 plate appearances for the Dodgers and finished the season at .174 with two homers and nine RBIs in 62 games overall. The seven-year veteran played for San Diego from 2013-15, then was dealt to the Cardinals.

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