It is said that Boston will have competition for one of their top free-agent targets.
It appears that the Boston Red Sox may face competition in their pursuit of a reputed free agent.
Boston needs to spend this offseason strengthening the starting lineup. Speaking is not as easy as doing. This offseason, the Red Sox are in a similar situation to many other teams. In addition, there doesn’t seem to be enough pitching to go around.
After losing out on former Orix Buffaloes pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Red Sox must now decide what to do. This offseason, Boston has been linked to former All-Star Lucas Giolito several times, and it appears like a move could occur.
Despite this, the New York Mets are allegedly also expressing “strong interest” in the righty, so Boston will have some competition for his services, as reported by Mike Puma of the New York Post.
The right-hander’s main selling point may be his capacity to put up innings, and the Mets are clearly interested in him. Giolito pitched 184 1/3 innings in season, split between the Cleveland Guardians, Los Angeles Angels, and Chicago White Sox. This was his fourth season of over 170 innings pitched since 2018.
“He concluded the previous season with 204 strikeouts, good for sixth place in the American League. Giolito had a strong first half of the season with the White Sox last year, but he suffered through a divorce in the middle of July and was later traded twice, which could have had an impact on his inconsistent play after the All-Star break.”
Despite this, Boston will have competition for his services since, as Mike Puma of the New York Post reports, the righty is also attracting “strong interest” from the New York Mets.
The right-hander’s ability to eat innings may be his biggest selling feature, and the Mets are clearly interested in him. The Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels, and Cleveland Guardians were the teams to which Giolito pitched 184 1/3 innings last season. This was his fourth season of surpassing 170 innings since 2018.
“He was sixth in the American League last season with 204 strikeouts. Giolito’s poor performance after the All-Star break may have been caused by the divorce he went through in mid-July and the two trades he later underwent following a strong first half with the White Sox last season.”
Despite having a poor year in 2024, Giolito has a lot of potential. With the White Sox, he actually started the season extremely well, going 21 starts with a 3.79 ERA. After that, he had trouble with the Angels and Guardians.
Giolito was voted for the Cy Young Award every season from 2019 to 2021 and was once among the American League’s best starts. Perhaps in the upcoming season, he could return to that kind of play.