Impact Free Agent Has Multiple Red Sox Ties, Could Bolster Boston's Pitching Staff

Boston could use some additional help

Scott Neville | Jan 22, 2024

Impact Free Agent Has Multiple Red Sox Ties, Could Bolster Boston's Pitching Staff /

In this story:

Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox brass have been vocal that the "full throttle" remarks made earlier in the offseason were a complete façade and the intent will be to spend less than a year ago.

With that in mind, Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow will have his work cut out for him to bolster the pitching staff and find an impact right-handed bat with less than a month before spring training.

One unheralded hurler with multiple ties to the Red Sox organization could be an affordable yet impactful addition to the roster.

Former San Francisco Giants right-hander Jakob Junis had a career year last season in part due to pitching coach Andrew Bailey's tutelage. With Bailey leading the pitching charge in Boston, Junis would have a strong connection to the team.

As if that was not compelling enough, the Red Sox hired Junis' brother Noah to be the Triple-A Worcester bullpen coach earlier in the offseason.

Junis posted a 3.87 ERA with a 96-to-21 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .269 batting average against and a 1.29 WHIP in 86 innings last season. His 109 ERA+ was the best of his career thanks to an uptick in chase, whiff and strikeout rates.

The 31-year-old spent last season in the bullpen but has 110 career starts, making him a viable option to throw into the swingman role alongside the likes of Garrett Whitlock and Tanner Houck.

A trio of multi-innings relievers could help Boston bridge the gap from the starters to the high-leverage arms such as Chris Martin and Kenley Jansen -- assuming the latter is still here amid trade rumors.

Junis is not the flashy Jordan Montgomery or Blake Snell signing but he'd be a strong addition to the pitching staff.

More MLB: Red Sox Still In Contact With Pair Of Frontline Starters Despite Pessimism

Published Jan 22, 2024

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu