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He will not replace Corbin Burnes. But the Milwaukee Brewers are on the verge of signing a free agent who found success in limited action as a starter last season.
The team has reached agreement on a one-year, $7 million contract with right-hander Jakob Junis, pending a physical, according to sources briefed on the discussions. Junis, who will be paid $4 million this season on a $3 million buyout with a mutual option, will be a candidate to start, giving the Brewers another rotation option for him.
Burnes’ trade last week to the Baltimore Orioles left the Brewers with a rotation led by Freddy Peralta and Wade Miley. Colin Rea, re-signed as a free agent; Joe Ross, another free agent addition; and DL Hall, acquired in the Burnes deal, are also candidates to start.
Junis, 31, made just four starts in his 40 appearances with the San Francisco Giants last season. In those starts, he allowed no earned runs in 12 2/3 innings while holding opponents to a .114 batting average and .352 OPS. As a reliever, he had a 4.54 ERA in 73 1/3 innings and his opponents hit .292 with an .831 OPS.
Before spending the last two seasons with the Giants, Junis was with the Kansas City Royals from 2017 to 2021. He was used almost exclusively as a starter in his first three seasons, posting an adjusted ERA slightly below league average in 61 starts. combined in 2018 and 2019.
The Giants, who signed Junis as a free agent in March 2022, used him primarily as a starter that season before moving him primarily to a relief role in 2023.
The deal between the Brewers and Junis was first reported by ESPN.
(Photo: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)