White Sox vice president and general manager Chris Getz has had a busy offseason so far. He has made several signings and trades this winter, including bringing in utility man Josh Rojas on a one-year contract earlier today. He seemingly isn’t done either, as James Fox of FutureSox has reported that the White Sox are “in the mix” for free agent pitcher Jakob Junis.
A 32-year-old right-hander, Junis has played with four teams over his eight-year MLB career, most notably the Kansas City Royals. He was mediocre overall in Kansas City but has improved significantly in recent years. He is coming off a career-best 2024 season. In 24 games between the Brewers and Reds this past season, Junis put up a 2.69 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, and 3.69 FIP. He also walked just eight batters in 67 innings pitched. He was somewhat lucky, as evidenced by the .224 BABIP against him. Still, it was a quality season for Junis and solidified him as a quality MLB pitcher.
Junis is primarily a sinker and slider pitcher and both pitches graded out well in 2024, according to Baseball Savant. He also has a four-seam fastball, change-up, and cutter in his repertoire. Junis is not a power pitcher by any means, but his slider is a very effective pitch and the main reason for his success. Opposing batters hit just .183 against his slider while whiffing 29.6% of the time. The quality of his sinker also improved significantly from 2023 to 2024 per run value. Junis has gotten better over time and is now an intriguing free agent target.
As Fox noted, Junis already has connections to people within the White Sox organization. He worked with the White Sox director of pitching Brian Bannister while both were with the San Francisco Giants. Junis is also familiar with new White Sox bench coach Walker McKinven during their time with the Milwaukee Brewers last season. The fact that Junis has working relationships with people within the White Sox organization could be a selling point, especially since his stints in San Francisco and Milwaukee were largely successful and rejuvenated his career.
Junis signing with the White Sox makes sense for both parties. The team needs a veteran in the starting rotation and pitchers who can eat innings. Junis has been both a starter and reliever in his MLB career, and the White Sox can guarantee him a rotation spot if they so choose. It is reminiscent of the circumstances of the Erick Fedde signing from last year. Fedde ultimately chose the White Sox over other teams because of the opportunity to be a full-time starting rotation member. That could apply in this case. Signing with the White Sox would also allow Junis to prove he can be a full-time starter at the MLB level in a low-pressure environment as he hopes to maximize his future earnings.
Fox did not specify what kind of contract Junis is seeking, but it will likely be a relatively short-term pact. For reference, Fedde signed a two-year/$15 million contract last season after his stellar season in Korea. Junis has had more MLB success than Fedde did at this time last year, so it is fair to assume Junis will ask for more money. That said, he should still be relatively affordable and could become a trade chip at the deadline for a rebuilding White Sox team looking to accumulate more talent.
Jakob Junis checks many boxes for the White Sox. He has had past MLB success and experience as both a starter and a reliever. He should also be relatively affordable and could become a trade chip with a strong first half. It is a perfect landing spot for him on paper. While this is only a rumor, the White Sox interest in Jakob Junis is worth monitoring.
