Red Sox’s Kenley Jansen Explains ‘Motivation’ After Trade Deadline

The Boston Red Sox have plenty of work left to do following the Major League Baseball trade deadline.

With hopes of a late-season playoff push still in play, the Red Sox acquired infielder Luis Urías in a deal with the Milwaukee Brewers before Tuesday’s 6 p.m. ET deadline. But with a playoff spot yet to be secured, and the American League wild card becoming a tight race, Kenley Jansen intends to use Boston’s doubters to his advantage — something the All-Star closer hopes spreads among the roster.

“That’s a motivation to me,” Jansen said, according to Ian Browne of MLB.com. “If you want to put us as an underdog or you put that we’re not going to make the playoffs, to me, stuff like that always fueled me. I want it to fuel all these other guys in here and be hungry about it and prove anyone wrong.”

The climb to late-season contention hasn’t been easy, but that’s where the Red Sox find themselves after the deadline.

Boston entered its Tuesday contest in Seattle against the Mariners just 2 1/2 games out of a wild card spot, and with 58 games left scheduled, there’s still plenty of time left. It’s now up to the current Red Sox roster, which the organization is standing by, to finish the job.

Aside from the playoffs, which Boston missed in 2022, the Red Sox await a series of roster additions from within, most notably pitcher Chris Sale and shortstop Trevor Story. While Boston’s front office navigated phone calls before the deadline, Sale underwent a rehab assignment in Triple-A Worcester, pitching for the WooSox.