Junis finalizes $4 million deal with Rangers, who give minor deal to World Series reliever Sborz

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This article was published 20/01/2026 (268 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Right-hander Jakob Junis finalized a $4 million, one-year contract with the Rangers on Tuesday that includes a mutual option for 2027, and Texas signed 2023 World Series reliever Josh Sborz to a minor league contract.

Junis was 4-1 with with a 2.97 ERA in a career-high 57 appearances with Cleveland last season, when he allowed only five home runs over 66 2/3 innings. He will make $2.75 million this year, and the 2027 option is at $5 million with a $1.25 million buyout.

In his nine-year big league career, the 33-year-old Junis is 46-46 with two saves and a 4.36 ERA with 768 strikeouts in 249 games, including 116 starts, with Kansas City (2017-21), San Francisco (2022-23), Milwaukee (2024), Cincinnati (2024), and Cleveland (2025). He is among four active pitchers with at least 100 starts and 100 relief appearances since 2017.

Right-hander Dom Hamel designated for assignment to open a roster spot.

Sborz spent all of last season on the injured list after right shoulder surgery in November 2024.

He got the final seven outs in the Rangers’ World Series-clinching victory at Arizona in Game 5 in 2023, then was limited to 16 1/3 innings over 17 appearances in 2024, when the right-hander was on the injured list four times for right shoulder issues.

He never pitched for the Rangers last year, making 12 appearances during a minor league rehab assignment, the last on Aug. 30.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb