Could the White Sox continue their active start to 2025?
According to James Fox of FutureSox, the club is “in the mix” to sign free agent pitcher Jakob Junis. This update comes after the acquisition of southpaw Tyler Gilbert from the Phillies and signing of infielder Josh Rojas to kick off the calendar year.
Junis, 32, made 24 appearances between the Brewers and Reds this past season. Though he served primarily as a reliever, Junis made six starts and posted a 2.69 ERA and 0.851 WHIP over 69.0 total innings. As Fox pointed out, the righty has prior connections to pitching advisor Brian Bannister and new bench coach Walker McKinven, making him a name to watch over the coming weeks.
Jakob Junis, Nasty 83mph Back door Slider. 😨 pic.twitter.com/XFqTixxdxJ
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 2, 2024
Originally drafted in the 29th round of the 2011 MLB Draft by Kansas City, Junis made his debut with the Royals in 2017. He would go on to spend five seasons with the division rival before playing two in San Francisco and splitting 2024 between Milwaukee and Cincinnati. He owns a career 4.48 ERA, 1.294 WHIP, and 3.60 K/BB ratio through eight major league seasons, making starts in 116 of his 192 games.
Like with the newly acquired Gilbert, it’s still unknown how the White Sox would view Junis entering the season. If he signs, Junis’ previous starting experience could make him a candidate to fight for a rotation spot this spring. Otherwise, his recent success out of the bullpen, thanks in part to Bannister’s direction with the Giants, would give the Sox another asset to eat innings behind a young rotation with the option of spot starts when necessary.
We’ll continue to monitor the situation for developments and provide further updates as information becomes available.
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