Most teams will be looking at Sandy Alcantara and Edward Cabrera when it comes to potentially dealing for Miami Marlins pitchers before the MLB trade deadline, but yet another arm has emerged as a very viable trade candidate: Janson Junk.
Thanks to a rash of injuries that have hit the Marlins' starting rotation (what else is new?), Junk has been called upon as a swing pitcher, both starting games and pitching in long relief. He has made eight appearances and three starts in 2025, logging a 3.62 ERA while allowing 40 hits and registering 33 strikeouts over 37.1 innings of work.
But here's the real kicker: Junk has walked just two batters all season long. In fact, he has not issued any free passes since June 9. That's four straight outings — three starts and 20 innings — without a walk. Impressive, to say the least.
Junk's K/BB ratio is a ridiculous 16.50, and he boasts a 1.83 FIP. He has also surrendered just one home run, so there is a lot to like about the right-hander's profile.
It gets even better: his BABIP is .339, indicating that Junk has actually gotten unlucky this season (league average is around .290).
Junk is definitely a late bloomer at 29 years old, but there have absolutely been pitchers who have found their grooves very late in their careers. Junk could be one of them.
Given his age, the Marlins really have no reason to hold on to Junk long term. They absolutely, positively should trade him before July 31, regardless of whether or not they continue winning games. And you know what? Thanks to his superb control, Miami may be able to land a surprisingly nice haul for Junk.
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