The Texas Rangers and Jakob Junis are staring at a mutual option that almost seems to have written itself.
Junis is set to have a $5 million mutual option for 2027, and for a club that could badly use stability in the bullpen, that figure is right in the neighborhood of what the right-hander might fetch on the open market. Spotrac projects Junis at a one-year deal worth $5,095,250, using past contracts for comparable players based on stats and age. In other words, the match is close enough that both sides did a solid job landing on a number that makes sense.
That matters because Junis may not find a richer payday if he reaches free agency. His soft-tossing profile does not always carry the same appeal on the market as the production suggests, which helps explain why that option could actually stick.
For the Rangers, keeping him around would be the sensible move. But reuniting with Junis cannot be the only bullpen business they handle.
Texas’ payroll picture for 2027 is already looking rough, which makes the big-ticket relief market feel out of reach. Adrian Morejon and pitchers in that tier likely won’t be in play. Instead, the Rangers are heading toward another bargain hunt to patch together the staff.
Even if Junis returns on the option or on a similar one-year arrangement that lands just above $5 million, the team will still need more help.
The 34-year-old’s 2026 season was shaped by injuries, and he faded late. From Opening Day through July 31, he worked to a 2.70 ERA. From Aug. 1 on, that number jumped to 6.28.
The way Texas leaned on him also says plenty. Junis served as Jacob Latz’s top setup man, partly because of injuries and partly because there just weren’t many other reliable choices.
That kind of role pushes him higher up the chain than ideal. He does not miss a lot of bats, and when his command slips, he can get nicked for big innings.
So the cleanest read is pretty simple: Junis at $5 million as a middle reliever makes sense. Junis as Jacob Latz’s primary setup man is asking for trouble, especially once the innings pile up.
And because the Rangers won’t have much room to shop for a premium reliever, Chris Young is going to have to be creative. Junis can be part of the solution. He cannot be the whole answer.
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