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.
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