Rangers Sign Starter-Turned-Reliever After Career-Best Run
For a pitcher who spent most of his career bouncing between roles and organizations, Junis has been at his best lately, and Texas is betting that version is real.
Jakob Junis gives Texas a starter’s durability in relief
Junis has started 116 of his 249 big-league games, but his last three seasons have looked like a full-on reinvention.
From 2023–25, he posted ERAs of 3.87, 2.69, and 2.97, a run that easily stacks up as the best stretch of his nine-year career.
BREAKING: Reliever Jakob Junis is in agreement on a one-year, $4 million deal with the Rangers, per @Ken_Rosenthal
— SleeperRangers (@SleeperRangers) January 18, 2026
Junis posted a 2.97 ERA in 57 games with Cleveland last year. pic.twitter.com/NWAuoF1QJJ
In 2025 with the Cleveland Guardians, Junis worked exclusively out of the bullpen and delivered 57 appearances, 66.2 innings, a 2.97 ERA, and a 1.23 WHIP, giving him the kind of multi-inning dependability contenders love to stash in the middle-to-late innings.
Why the Rangers think the 2025 version can stick
Junis didn’t suddenly become a strikeout monster, but his profile tightened in ways that matter for a bullpen arm, with steady control and weak contact.
His 2025 walk rate sat in that solid, above-average range, and Statcast’s season line shows how consistently he kept damage in check during the Guardians stint.
The Texas Rangers have agreed to a one-year, $4 million deal with right-handed reliever Jakob Junis, per @Ken_Rosenthal
— Rangers Nation ⚾️ (@Rangers__Nation) January 18, 2026
The 33-year-old posted a 2.97 ERA and 1.23 WHIP across 66.2 innings with Cleveland last season. pic.twitter.com/WJNGZYAQkY
The Rangers have been reshaping the bullpen, and Junis brings a flexible bridge skill set, meaning he can cover innings when a starter exits early, or slide into tougher spots when the leverage spikes.
Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
