Lucas Giolito was one of the best stories on the 2025 Boston Red Sox, emerging from a year-long layoff to produce a No. 3 starter season. His 3.41 ERA ranked third among all qualified Red Sox starters this past season, and his 2.0 fWAR barely outpaced Brayan Bello for second.
That quality performance made it an easy call for him to decline his $19 million mutual option for 2026, but Giolito remains a free agent as the New Year is rung in.
In an appearance on the "Baseball Isn't Boring" podcast, Giolito discussed a great deal about his latest trip through free agency while tending to the elbow discomfort that prevented him from pitching in the postseason.
He also noted that he'd love to get another go-around in Boston, claiming that 2025 was one of the most fun seasons he's had in the major leagues. As lovely as the sentiment is, an unfortunate reality has squashed the veteran right-hander's dreams, as the Red Sox have already replaced him on the roster.
Lucas Giolito no longer fits Red Sox's plans after Sonny Gray, Johan Oviedo trades
There was a time when Giolito appeared to be a solid short-term fit for the Sox, but that ship has sailed. Craig Breslow traded for Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo, both of whom bring more upside to the team's rotation.
One could argue that Gray was more of a targeted upgrade over Bello in the No. 2 starter role behind Garrett Crochet, but his presence alone renders Giolito superfluous. He's pitched more than 165 innings in each of the past three seasons, and his xERA and FIP have both been below 4.00 in every single campaign since 2019.
For one year and $21 million — less than the $22.05 million qualifying offer the Red Sox refused to give Giolito — it was a no-brainer to add Gray to the rotation.
Meanwhile, Oviedo is a 6'6" titan on the mound who profiles as a Breslow project given his projectable fastball and huge extension numbers. His performance has never quite lived up the billing — he delivered a 4.05 ERA (4.43 FIP) and 3.7 bWAR in 248 2/3 innings with the Pirates — but there's a lot to be excited about in his arsenal.
Giolito's surface numbers were far better than his metrics suggested, and at 31 years old with a laundry list of injury issues, he simply doesn't fit what the Red Sox are trying to do any longer. His presence on the mound was a boon in 2025, but the team's moves have made it abundantly clear that it's time to move on.