After making a big splash with free-agent southpaw Carlos Rodón on Friday, the Giants have made a couple of low-key additions to their pitching staff.
Former Kansas City Royals right-hander Jakob Junis signed to a one-year contract, reportedly worth $1.75 million Monday, while former St. Louis Cardinals righty Carlos Martínez was signed to a minor league deal Sunday that could reportedly be worth up to $4 million if Martínez hits all his incentives.
In this truncated offseason, San Francisco’s front office has focused on deepening a pitching staff that was rife with question marks when 2021 ended. In Junis and Martínez, the Giants have added two low-risk veterans who add versatility and depth.
Junis, 29, made six starts and 10 relief appearances for the Royals last season, posting a 5.26 ERA, 4.31 FIP, 1.40 WHIP with 41 strikeouts and 12 walks in 39.1 innings. He made 61 combined starts in 2018-19 and carries a 4.82 ERA for his five-year career.
Martínez earned All-Star Game invites in 2015 and 2017 but has been limited to just 21 starts the past two seasons while dealing with COVID-19, shoulder and oblique injuries in 2020 and a season-ending thumb surgery last July. From 2013-19, Martinez compiled a 3.36 ERA, 3.48 FIP and 1.28 WHIP with an 8.9 K/9 rate in 864.2 innings as a rising star in St. Louis.
According to Ken Rosenthal, Martínez will earn $2.5 million if he makes the Opening Day roster and could earn another $1.5 million in incentives.
The Giants will likely open the season with Logan Webb, who evolved into the team’s ace down the 2021 stretch. From there, the rotation has been filled out with four free-agent signees or returnees – Rodón, Alex Wood, Anthony DeSclafani and Alex Cobb. Junis and Martínez will likely begin the season as long-man relief candidates but could be spot starters if someone goes down.
