Rangers Sign Jakob Junis to One-Year Deal After Solid Guardians Season

The Texas Rangers continue building their bullpen for 2026, adding veteran right-hander Jakob Junis on a one-year deal. The move addresses a clear need for Texas after watching several relievers from last season's group depart through free agency.

The Rangers are working with a tighter budget while trying to remain competitive, and Junis fits that approach.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.

According to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, Junis agreed to a one-year, $4 million contract with the Rangers. The move will become official once Texas makes a corresponding roster move.

Rosenthal added that the Rangers plan to use Junis exclusively as a reliever, continuing the role he embraced last season in Cleveland.

Free-agent right-hander Jakob Junis in agreement with Rangers on one-year, $4M contract, source tells @TheAthletic
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 18, 2026

The 33-year-old spent 2025 with the Guardians after signing a one-year, $4.5 million deal. He thrived in his first season working solely out of the bullpen, posting a 2.97 ERA across 57 appearances and 66 2/3 innings. He struck out 55 batters while walking just 18, showcasing the control that has defined his nine-year career.

Junis has bounced around quite a bit over his career, pitching for the Royals, Giants, Brewers, Reds, and Guardians. He spent most of his early years as a starter with Kansas City, making 116 of his 249 career appearances in that role. But the right-hander has carved out a more defined role over the past three seasons as a swingman and long reliever, which is exactly what Texas needs as it pieces together a new-look bullpen.

Rangers Continue Rebuilding Bullpen

The departures have been significant this winter. Phil Maton signed with the Cubs on a two-year deal worth $14.5 million after the Rangers acquired him at last year's trade deadline.

Hoby Milner followed Maton to Chicago on a one-year contract. With those losses, the Rangers continue exploring bullpen options to replace production from arms that helped keep Texas competitive last season.

The urgency makes sense when you look at the numbers. Texas finished last season converting just 37 of 66 save opportunities, a 56 percent success rate that ranked among baseball's worst. Those blown saves added up and contributed to an 81-81 finish that left the Rangers on the outside looking in at the playoffs.

Young has been vocal about building through competition rather than spending big on a proven closer, which explains the approach this winter.

So far, Texas has added Tyler Alexander, Alexis Diaz, Chris Martin, and Carter Baumler alongside Junis. Robert Garcia returns after sharing the team lead with nine saves last season, though he struggled with consistency.

The Rangers are banking on multiple arms stepping up rather than anointing anyone as the closer out of camp.

Junis fits the mold of what Young wants. He attacks the strike zone and limits walks, posting a 6 percent walk rate over 847 career innings. His slider has been his best pitch throughout his career, and he relied on it heavily last season as his primary offering at 44 percent.

That approach allowed him to pitch multiple innings when needed or work shorter stints depending on the matchup, giving manager Skip Schumaker the flexibility Texas lacked at times last year.

Pitchers and catchers report in less than a month, and this signing addresses an immediate need without breaking the budget. If Junis can replicate what he did in Cleveland, the Rangers will have found solid value in a bullpen market that has proven expensive for middle relievers.

Rangers Continue Rebuilding Bullpen

More Rangers News