Source: Rangers signing reliever Jakob Junis to one-year deal

Alden GonzalezJan 18, 2026, 07:04 PM ET

CloseESPN baseball reporter. Covered the L.A. Rams for ESPN from 2016 to 2018 and the L.A. Angels for MLB.com from 2012 to 2016.

The Texas Rangers, looking to solidify their bullpen depth, are bringing in right-handed reliever Jakob Junis on a one-year, $4 million contract, a source confirmed to ESPN on Sunday.

Junis, 33, excels at throwing strikes and avoiding hard contact. With the Cleveland Guardians last season, he put up a 2.97 ERA in 57 appearances, striking out 55 batters and issuing only 18 walks in 66⅔ innings in his first season working exclusively out of the bullpen.

Junis came up as a starting pitcher with the Kansas City Royals and remains capable of pitching multiple innings. For his nine-year career, he has put up a 4.36 ERA in 847 innings while walking just six percent of the batters he has faced.

Junis is one of several relievers added to a Rangers bullpen that has undergone a lot of turnover the last two years, joining the likes of Alex Diaz, Tyler Alexander, Carter Baumler, Zak Kent and Chris Martin, the latter of whom returned on a similar one-year, $4 million deal.

The Athletic first reported Junis’ agreement with the Rangers.