Lucas Giolito, a free agency starting pitcher, is once again in the move after playing for three different teams during the 2023 season.
Giolito and the Boston Red Sox reached an agreement on Friday for a two-year, $38.5 million deal, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. There is a one-year opt-out clause in the agreement.
The 29-year-old just wrapped up a poor season in which he recorded an 8-15 overall record, a 4.88 ERA, a 1.31 WHIP, and 204 strikeouts. After being traded to the Los Angeles Angels, who dismissed him after he recorded a 6.89 ERA in six starts, he started the season with the Chicago White Sox. After being grabbed by the Cleveland Guardians, he struggled to improve, recording a 7.04 ERA in his six appearances.
During the 2016 MLB season, Giolito debuted for the Washington Nationals. He played for the White Sox for the following six or so seasons, setting a career high with 228 strikeouts and earning a trip to the All-Star Game in 2019. Additionally, in 2020, he pitched a no-hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
For the second consecutive year, the Red Sox finished last in the AL East with a record of 78-84. When Boston hired Craig Breslow to take Chaim Bloom’s place as president of baseball operations, it significantly altered their front office.
Giolito joins a Red Sox pitching rotation that saw none of its full-time starters end the previous campaign with an ERA below 4.00. While he works to get back to an acceptable level of output, he will give depth to the starting rotation.