The Giants have signed right-hander Jakob Junis to a one-year, Major League contract, per the team. Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports that Junis, a Wasserman client, will be guaranteed $1.75MM on the deal. Right-hander Hunter Harvey has been designated for assignment in order to clear a 40-man roster spot, tweets Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Junis, 29, has spent his entire professional career in the Royals organization prior to this deal. A former 29th-round pick, he made his big league debut with Kansas City back in 2017 and, for his first two seasons at least, looked like he might hold down a spot in their rotation for the foreseeable future. Over those two seasons, Junis was a valuable source of solid, if unspectacular innings, pitching to a combined 4.35 ERA with a 20.7% strikeout rate and a strong 5.7% walk rate over the life of 275 1/3 frames.
The 2019 season marked the beginning of a downturn for Junis, however, and he has yet to recover. Junis made 31 starts for Kansas City in ’19 and soaked up 175 1/3 innings but was tagged for an untenable 5.24 ERA on the season. He’s posted an even higher ERA in each of the past two seasons and, on the whole, owns a 5.36 mark over his past 240 big league innings.
That said, Junis has maintained plus levels of command even amid his downturn and picked up strikeouts at a slightly above-average rate last season. He doesn’t throw particularly hard (91.1 mph average fastball in ’21) but has ample experience both in the rotation and in the bullpen at the MLB level. He also has a minor league option remaining and, because he was cut loose by the Royals during his arbitration years, he can be controlled through the 2023 season if he rebounds in San Francisco and finds his footing.
The Giants, of course, have developed quite the reputation for restoring the careers of pitchers, and Junis is badly in need of just such a bounceback. He won’t have a rotation spot to begin the season — not with Logan Webb, Carlos Rodon, Anthony DeSclafani, Alex Wood and Alex Cobb all on board — but he can give the Giants a multi-inning/long-relief option and serve as a sixth starter. Given the injury histories of Rodon, Wood, Cobb and DeSclafani, having some experience depth like Junis carries extra importance.
A guy I thought was worth exactly this type of low cost flyer.
A guy who can give you multiple innings out of the bullpen and save other arms.
man, that is an alliterative move – sign Jacob Junis, designate Hunter Harvey
Alliterating
Harvey back to the O’s? I know he’s had injury issues, but he might be worth another look.
Like to see the cards put in a claim on hunter
I can’t imagine Harvey will be on the waiver wire long. This seems like such a lateral move.
it is and isn’t – looks like Junis has more innings but similar statistically and is a signing rather than a claim so you have a little more flexibility with him if you want to say keep him on the payroll and have him accept an AAA assignment to taxi him to cover in case of injuries.
This is interesting. Can it be that he’s signed an MLB deal, while knowing and accepting that he’ll likely spend much of the season at AAA but still collecting that big league paycheck? Didn’t Vosler do something like that last year?
It may be, but Harvey hasn’t been healthy, so we don’t know what to expect from him.
Junis has what Zaidi has targeted: an excellent K-BB ratio and stuff that the Giants likely think they can fix.
I don’t imagine that Harvey will have a hard time finding a new home, but I can’t blame the Giants for preferring a bit more of a known commodity.
And keep in mind that Harvey has never really been a starter since 2019 (11 starts in the Baltimore minors) whereas Junis has been primarily a starter.
feels like 2 mil wasted
Nah that’s your Phillies wasting nearly 14 million on Familia and Hand. You must be new to how the giants do things, Junis will likely outperform both Hand and Familia next year only at 2 mill.
Out of pocket but okay. Dude has a career ERA and FIP both on the higher end of the 4’s. The Royals didn’t even tender him and what would have been slightly more than $2 and didn’t.
It’s $1.75M, not $2M. The Giants are a team that’s already arrived – and can easily afford a depth piece like this – that’s all he is. Anyway, if they think they can work with his stuff – that’s a key consideration, given their track record.
The Royals are a small-market team that’s trying to arrive but hasn’t yet – and has to budget more carefully, anyway.
Maybe you’re NOT new to how the Giants do things. Who knows, maybe you’ve often thought you were wiser than the Giants FO’s and on-field managers – past or present – eh, darkside..?
Gold star to the scout who found Junis. Royals got 102 games from the 876th pick.
Giants quietly stock piling pitching on great prices.. Such a sneaky dangerous team.
And I expect at least one more innings eater to be signed or traded for.
I hope the Mets pick up Hunter Harvey, hes a great pitcher
How bout that Junis! 5 IP, 0 ER, gets a win in relief.
Pitching depth, it’s a good thing.