Former Red Sox Lucas Giolito Reportedly Has 'Inevitable' Landing Spot

Free agent starting pitcher Lucas Giolito

Former Red Sox Lucas Giolito Reportedly Has 'Inevitable' Landing Spot originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Lucas Giolito could reportedly be close to finally signing.

Four weeks into the 2026 season, Giolito remains a free agent after a strong year with the Boston Red Sox. The 31-year-old may be on the verge of joining a National League contender.

MassLive's Chris Cotillo called the San Diego Padres and Giolito an "inevitable" pairing. Nothing is finalized, but the right-hander could sign soon.

It's a sensible fit, as injuries have already decimated San Diego's rotation. Yu Darvish will miss the entire 2026 season recovering from elbow surgery, Joe Musgrove has yet to return from Tommy John surgery and former Red Sox starter Nick Pivetta is sidelined with a right elbow flexor strain.

That leaves the Padres scrambling for quality innings behind Michael King and April standout Randy Vasquez. Walker Buehler has followed a rocky year in Boston by posting a 4.58 ERA in four starts, but Matt Waldron got tagged for six runs in his only outing of the season.

Giolito would represent a considerable upgrade if he's anything close to the hurler who notched a 3.41 ERA for Boston last season. Yet teams may have concerns about his strikeout rate dipping to 19.7 percent after missing all of 2024 with a UCL injury.

Without a proper spring training, Giolito may also need time before getting tossed into a big league rotation. However, he insisted earlier this month that he's staying prepared to contribute as soon as possible.

"When I get the opportunity, it's like, all right, cool," Giolito said on the "Baseball Isn't Boring" podcast. "Do you want me to throw a game in Triple-A to get ready, or do you want to put me right in for five innings? Like, I'll do whatever," Giolito said. "I'm happy to do whatever once I get an opportunity to help a team."

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