Rangers' Jakob Junis decision should be obvious in light of his projected market value

There are three types of contract options a player can have that determine their future. Player and club options are the most common and easily indicate who is in the driver's seat. Less common is the mutual option, which requires both sides to pick it up in order to take effect. These are rarely accepted by both sides, but in the Texas Rangers' case, they have one that could actually take hold.

The Rangers and Jakob Junis will have to decide on a $5 million mutual option for 2027. For Texas, losing Junis would be a big blow to an already weak bullpen. That might make you think that the veteran right-hander can then go out and get a bigger deal elsewhere.

However, Spotrac uses past contracts for comparable players based on stats and age to determine a free agent's market value, and for Junis, they peg him at a one-year $5,095,250 deal. The two sides did an excellent job negotiating that mutual option because it lines up perfectly.

This indicates that Junis, whose soft-tossing skill set isn't as highly valued on the market compared to his record of production, might not get more money if he were to test free agency.

The Rangers should reunite with Jakob Junis, but he can't be the only bullpen addition

Texas's payroll situation for 2027 is looking pretty bleak, meaning the club isn't going to be able to add any of the big-name late-inning relievers. That means the Rangers can forget about Adrian Morejon and others of his ilk. Instead, this is going to be another bargain-hunting excursion to fill out the pitching staff.

Still, Junis, whether both sides agree to pick up his option or they come to a new agreement that would be a new one-year deal that comes in slightly over $5 million, more is going to be needed.

Junis dealt with several injuries in 2026 and ran out of gas down the stretch. From Opening Day through July 31, the 34-year-old posted a 2.70 ERA. From August 1 onward, that number ballooned to 6.28.

More importantly, the Rangers used Junis as Jacob Latz's primary setup man, thanks in part to injuries, but also due to a dearth of other options. In an ideal world, that's a rung or two too high for a pitcher like Junis, who doesn't strike out many batters and is susceptible to big innings if his control is off.

To that end, Jakob Junis at $5 million as a middle reliever makes a ton of sense. Jakob Junis as Jacob Latz's primary setup man will ensure that the Rangers' bullpen struggles yet again, especially as fatigue sets in. The scariest part, though, is that there won't be much money to go get a premium reliever, meaning that Chris Young is going to have to get creative to build upon Junis, rather than simply relying on him again.

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