He won’t replace Corbin Burnes. But the Milwaukee Brewers are on the verge of signing a free agent who succeeded in limited action as a starter last season.
The team has reached agreement on a one-year, $7 million contract with right-hander Jakob Junis, pending a physical, according to sources briefed on the discussions. Junis, who will be paid $4 million this season with a $3 million buyout on a mutual option, will be a candidate to start, giving the Brewers another option for their rotation.
The trade of Burnes last week to the Baltimore Orioles left the Brewers with a rotation headed by Freddy Peralta and Wade Miley. Colin Rea, re-signed as a free agent; Joe Ross, another free-agent addition; and DL Hall, acquired in the Burnes deal, also are candidates to start.
Junis, 31, made only four starts in his 40 appearances for the San Francisco Giants last season. In those starts, he allowed zero earned runs in 12 2/3 innings while holding opponents to a .114 batting average and .352 OPS. As a reliever, he had a 4.54 ERA in 73 1/3 innings, and opponents batted .292 with an .831 OPS.
Before spending the past two seasons with the Giants, Junis was with the Kansas City Royals from 2017 to ‘21. He was used almost exclusively as a starter in his first three seasons, posting an adjusted ERA slightly below league average in 61 combined starts in 2018 and ‘19.
The Giants, who signed Junis as a free agent in March 2022, used him mostly as a starter that season before shifting him primarily to a relief role in ‘23.
ESPN first reported the agreement between the Brewers and Junis.
(Photo: Matthew Stockman / Getty Images)
Daniel Miller is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. His coverage spans from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis for sports enthusiasts.
