Is Red Sox signing Lucas Giolito a sign of things to come?
By David Azer
Here it is. The first big signing for the Red Sox this offseason has brought right-hander Lucas Giolito to Fenway on a two-year $38.5 million deal, per Jeff Passan. It's really a one-year deal because there's an opt-out clause for 2025.
Giolito was linked to the Red Sox for some time before the news broke as the team was looking to improve its problematic pitching staff. Giolito has shown flashes of being a frontline starter with the Chicago White Sox, posting a 3.53 ERA or lower from 2019-2021.
In 2023, Giolito bounced around with three different teams in the American League. He was traded from the White Sox to the Los Angeles Angels at the trade deadline, then was placed on waivers and picked up by the Cleveland Guardians. Through his whirlwind of a season, he threw 184.1 innings with a 4.88 ERA and 204 strikeouts. The home run totals were abnormal, as he allowed 41 throughout the season after not allowing more than 27 in any of his previous years.
This is a low-risk high-reward signing for a Red Sox team that's in desperate need of starting pitching depth. An innings eater who has shown flashes of being elite is the exact type of move the Red Sox needed to make this offseason. The right-hander will be able to find success in Boston, joining a rotation that needed a proven arm who can put up quality innings every fifth day.
Could the Red Sox signing Lucas Giolito open the floodgates?
Giolito is a great start for the Red Sox after they missed out on Yoshinobu Yamamoto to the Los Angeles Dodgers. It has been mentioned as of late that the team is looking at other starters such as Shota Imanaga, Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery. The team has also been linked to outfielder Teoscar Hernandez. Whether the Sox decide to sign another starter or shore up their offense, it's clear they're not done bringing in new players with a free agent market that's still getting its legs.
In any case, this shows Red Sox ownership is willing to spend money to bring the team back to its former days of glory. In a tough AL East division, signings like Giolito are what can separate the Red Sox from the Rays and Orioles, both of whom are more hesitant to spend money.
Giolito should just be the beginning. The Red Sox still have money to work with and should be in prime position to continue adding to their rotation and lineup.