After learning that closer Kenley Jansen would miss the first month of action because of the needed surgery earlier this week on his left foot, the Los Angeles Dodgers have decided to act fast. According to FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal, the Dodgers are interested in free agent Joba Chamberlain

Los Angeles will make up for the loss of Jansen by going after a middle reliever rather than a closer like Francisco Rodriguez or Rafael Soriano. Rosenthal does add that the Dodgers are considering other possibilities as well, so do not automatically count Rodriguez or Soriano out of contention.

Two months ago, it was reported by Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that Chamberlain "has rejected multiple offers from teams he did not want to join." It is not clear which teams made the offer, but he would be a solid middle relief option for multiple teams, including the Dodgers.  

The 29-year-old was drafted by the New York Yankees. They took him with the 41st overall pick in the 2006 MLB Draft. His agent is Hendricks Sports and he is searching for a home. 

During seven years with the Yankees, Chamberlain put up a 3.85 ERA. He started 43 games, most of them in 2009. However, he is a reliever and played in 260 total games with New York. 

Chamberlain signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal, plus performance incentives with the Detroit Tigers on December 12, 2013. In 69 games with Detroit, he owned a 3.57 ERA and 59 strikeouts over 63.0 innings pitched. He gave up a career-low 0.4 home runs per nine innings and a decent 8.1 hits per nine innings. 

The Miami Marlins also "have discussed" Chamberlain. The right-hander is looking for a two-year deal, but at this point he may have to settle for a one-year deal. However, the Marlins might not bite because they are also looking at Phil Coke and Rodriguez. 

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About the author
Evan Petzold
Evan Petzold is a Detroit-based journalist with expertise in covering the Tigers, Pistons, and Red Wings. A member of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) and Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association (DBSA), he brings a unique skill set in reporting and broadcasting to the table.