The Marlins announced Friday that left-hander Braxton Garrett has been optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville. Manager Clayton McCullough confirmed to the team’s beat that righty Janson Junk will open the season as Miami’s fifth starter (via Kevin Barral of Fish On First).
Junk, 30, was always going to make the club’s roster, given last year’s solid showing and his lack of minor league options. The question was whether it’d be in the rotation or in a swing capacity. He pitched 110 innings with a 4.17 ERA, 17.2% strikeout rate, 2.9% walk rate and 40.6% grounder rate in 21 appearances last year (16 starts, five relief outings). That strikeout rate is well below average, but Junk’s walk rate was elite — the lowest among the 127 MLB pitchers who tossed at least 100 frames last year.
This spring, Junk allowed five runs in five official innings but punched out 26% of his opponents against a solid walk rate. Putting him in the rotation affords the Marlins more flexibility with regard to their bullpen composition and also gives Garrett some additional time to round back into form after missing the 2025 season due to injury.
Garrett, 28, was the No. 7 overall pick by the Marlins back in 2016. He never ranked as a top prospect and had done little to make good on that lofty draft status until a breakout showing in 2022-23. Garrett combined for 47 starts (247 2/3 innings) with a 3.63 ERA, 23.8% strikeout rate and 5.1% walk rate across those two seasons, all but solidifying a long-term rotation spot for himself — or so it seemed.
In 2024, Garrett was limited to just seven starts, during which he struggled badly (5.35 ERA). A shoulder impingement and a flexor strain necessitated separate trips to the injured list that season, and his hopes for a 2025 rebound were dashed when he required UCL surgery last spring. Garrett didn’t pitch at all last year and has been built up judiciously thus far. He’s only pitched four official innings in Grapefruit League games, though he’s gotten side work on the back fields.
This is Garrett’s final minor league option year. He’s earning $1.53MM in his second trip through the arbitration process as a Super Two player. As long as he spends even four days on the active roster this year (which seems like a given), he’ll be under club control through the 2028 season.
With Garrett opening the year in Jacksonville, Miami will begin the season with Sandy Alcantara, Eury Perez, Chris Paddack, Max Meyer and Junk in the rotation. Between Garrett’s eventual return and the likely MLB debuts for top prospects Thomas White and Robby Snelling, there could be a fair bit of turnover on that staff this year. If Miami isn’t in contention this summer, both Alcantara and Paddack will stand as natural trade chips if they’re performing well.
