He will not replace Corbin Burns. But the Milwaukee Brewers are on the verge of signing a free agent who had success in limited action last season.
The team has reached an agreement with right-hander Jacob Junis on a one-year, $7 million contract pending a physical, sources said. Junis, who will be paid $4 million this season against a $3 million joint option, will be a candidate to start, giving the Brewers another option in their rotation.
Burns’ trade last week to the Baltimore Orioles left the Brewers with a rotation led by Freddie Peralta and Wade Malley. Colin Rea, re-signed as a free agent; Joe Ross, another free agent addition; And DL Hall, acquired in the Burns deal, are also candidates to start.
Junis, 31, started just four of 40 games for the San Francisco Giants last season. In those starts, he allowed zero earned runs in 12 2/3 innings and held opponents to a .114 batting average and .352 OPS. As a reliever, he had a 4.54 ERA in 73 1/3 innings, and opponents batted .292 with an .831 OPS.
Junis was with the Kansas City Royals from 2017-21 before spending the past two seasons with the Giants. He was used exclusively as a starter in his first three seasons, posting an adjusted ERA slightly below league average in a combined 61 innings in 2018 and 19 starts.
The Giants, who signed Junis as a free agent in March 2022, used him primarily as a starter that season before switching to a relief role in ’23.
ESPN first reported the deal between the Brewers and Junice.
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