The Red Sox's most recent addition to the starting rotation is already making unofficial suggestions about who they should sign next. Despite the comedic nature of the statements, maybe the front office will listen.
Boston signed Lucas Giolito on Jan. 3, and since then, the team has been linked to White Sox ace Dylan Cease. Giolito and Cease played together in Chicago and Giolito considers the young right-hander "a very good friend."
Giolito's jokes could become a reality, as the Sox have been named as a team in pursuit of Cease. Boston will have a lot to compete with, though, as fellow American League East teams such as the Yankees and Orioles have also been linked to Cease this offseason.
“I haven’t had any conversations with (Red) Sox front office staff about like, ‘All right, you got me. Now go get this guy,’” Giolito said to MassLive. “I was more concerned with getting through the physical and making sure that everything became official. ... So yeah, we’ll see. That obviously would be really cool but yeah, you just never know.”
The Red Sox seem more likely to add to their starting rotation through trades than through free agency, simply because ownership seemingly lacks the desire to spend money. In the past few seasons, Boston has built up its farm system and it has the necessary prospects to acquire a starter like Cease from a team desperate for all-around improvement, like Chicago. Baltimore also has an elite pool of prospects to offer, though — the Red Sox are far from the only team in the mix.
Giolito says he’s been in touch with Cease throughout the offseason, joking about “so, are you getting traded?” He says he hasn’t had any conversations with the Red Sox about whether they’re pursuing Cease, but notes, “That’d be really cool.”
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) January 3, 2024
Lucas Giolito has suggested — mostly to the media — that the Red Sox should trade for Dylan Cease
Cease likely has no say in where he'll end up this coming season, but Giolito is trying to get his friend in different color Sox. The Red Sox need another starting pitcher anyway, so it makes sense to pursue one that has a good relationship with one of their own players. Giolito and Cease once led a rotation for Chicago's division-winning squad in 2021.
Cease had a down year in 2023, but two seasons ago he finished second in the AL Cy Young voting. Going for a pitcher like Cease while his perceived value is lower could be a great idea for Boston, a team that has been reluctant to sacrifice players from its farm system in recent years.
Giolito is the newest member of Boston's roster and likely doesn't have much pull with the front office. But after hearing how fiercely the Sox pursued him in free agency, there could be a possibility that leadership takes his opinions to heart.