Jakob Junis had a standout year with the Cleveland Guardians, but was it good enough for the organization to seek a reunion with him in free agency?
When the Cleveland Guardians signed Jakob Junis last offseason, it wasn’t a move that gained a ton of attention outside of the city. The right-handed pitcher was 32 years old at the time and had an underwhelming career up to that point.
Cleveland’s ability to identify strong pitchers struck again, though, as Junis recorded a strong season, with a 2.97 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP.
Now, the Guardians have a decision to make: Should they try to bring back Junis for the 2026, or let him walk in free agency?
The Case for the Guardians To Bring Back Junis
As previously stated, Junis had a solid season when looking at the simple counting stats, but the advanced numbers favored the right-hander, too.
Junis especially did a good job with limiting hard contact, with an average exit velocity of 87.6 mph, which ranked in the 87th percentile, and a hard-hit percentage of 6.6 percent. Generating all of this weak contact made up for Junis' slightly below-average strikeout rate.
There’s also the fact that Junis had the best season of his nine-year career with the Guardians, by a long shot. Clearly, the coaching staff tapped into something in his delivery and mechanics, which should also give Junis some motivation to re-sign with the team.
The Reason for the Guardians to Let Junis Walk
A reliever with a sub-3.00 ERA on the open market should be in line for a massive payday. That said, the 2025 season was in some ways an anomaly for Junis, who does have a career ERA of over 4.00.
No one is going to deny the right-hander had a strong season, but there’s a chance he struggles to recreate his performance last year, and that could be a very real reason to let him test the market.
The Verdict: Bring Junis Back If…
The Guardians should look to bring Junis back if they can bring him back on a team-friendly deal. Last offseason, he signed a one-year $4.5 million deal with Cleveland. That would be a perfect deal for a reunion.
That said, if another team is going to give him more guaranteed money, it would make more sense for the Guardians to search elsewhere for relief pitching.