Lucas Giolito Joins Red Sox With His Career at a Crossroads

Veteran right-handed pitcher Lucas Giolito has reportedly signed a two-year contract with the Boston Red Sox for $38.5 million.

Giolito, 29, could opt out of the contract following the 2024 season and elect free agency. There is also a possibility a one-year option could be exercised for the 2026 season depending on how many innings he tosses in 2025. 

I think Giolito is at a career crossroads. There was a time when Giolito looked like he could be one of the elite pitchers of his era. Originally, a first-round draft pick of the Washington Nationals out of high school in 2012, Giolito made his MLB debut with the Nats in the 2016 season. 

Prior to the 2017 season, Giolito was one of three players sent to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for outfielder Adam Eaton. In his first full season in the bigs in 2018, Giolito posted a ghastly 6.18 ERA and led the AL in earned runs (118) in walks (90). But Giolito would turn his fortunes around in 2019 posting a 14-9 record and a 3.41 ERA along with a career high 228 strikeouts in 176.2 inning pitched. Giolito led the AL in complete games (3) and shutouts (2) finishing sixth in AL Cy Young balloting earning his lone AL All-Star appearance. 

He would become a mainstay in the Chisox starting rotation the highlights of which included a no-hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the COVID shortened campaign of 2020 and back-to-back post-season appearances in 2020 and 2021.

And then along came 2023. Giolito was 6-6 with a respectable 3.79 ERA in 21 starts for a mediocre White Sox team when he was traded to the Los Angeles Angels shortly before the trade deadline in late July along with reliever Reynaldo Lopez. Oddly enough, Lopez was part of the trade package which brought him to the South Side of Chicago more than five years earlier. 

However, Giolito's journey with the Halos would end a little over a month later when he was put on waivers after going 1-5 with a 6.89 ERA in six starts. The Cleveland Guardians quickly snatched up Giolito but he continued to be ineffective. In six starts with the Guardians, Giolito went 1-4 with a 7.04 ERA. The 41 home runs Giolito surrendered led the AL. 

Giolito enters 2024 with a 61-62 record with a 4.43 ERA in 180 career games (178 of them starts) over parts of 8 seasons. In 1013.2 innings pitched, he has fanned 1077 batters against only 385 walks.

There is no question Giolito has good stuff. Even during his lackluster tenures with the Angels and Guardians, Giolito fanned 73 batters while walking only 31 over 63.1 innings pitched. Still, Giolito has lost 9 of his last 11 decisions since leaving the Chisox. Nevertheless, teams were interested in Giolito's services, and the Red Sox won out over the New York Mets. 

The Red Sox could prove to be the rejuvenation that Giolito needs. He still has a chance to become an elite pitcher. It could also be the continuation of an abrupt and irreversible decline. If it is the latter, then there is no tougher city to fall on your face in MLB than Boston - including New York. 

With that said, Giolito knows what he is up against and will be compensated handsomely. The question is will he sitting pretty?