Padres add rotation depth with Lucas Giolito after free agency dragged into 2026 season
TL;DR
The San Diego Padres have signed All-Star pitcher Lucas Giolito to a one-year deal after a prolonged free agency. Giolito, who had a successful 2025 season, adds depth to the Padres' rotation amid injury challenges.
Key points
- Lucas Giolito signed a one-year deal with the Padres
- He had a 3.41 ERA and 121 strikeouts in 2025
- Giolito missed the 2024 season due to elbow surgery
- The Padres are tied for the best record in MLB
- The team is facing injuries to multiple starting pitchers
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The free agency of All-Star starting pitcher Lucas Giolito lingered a lot longer than expected, but it's finally over. He and the Padres have agreed to a one-year deal, the team announced Wednesday.
Giolito, 31, was 10-4 with a 3.41 ERA (118 ERA+), 1.29 WHIP and 121 strikeouts against 56 walks in 145 innings last season for the Red Sox. He was coming off internal brace surgery on his elbow that had cost him the 2024 season. He was an All-Star in 2019 and finished sixth in Cy Young voting that season, then finished seventh in 2020 and 11th in 2021.
The Padres have been one of the best teams in MLB to this point. In fact, they are tied with the Dodgers at 16-7 for the best record in all of baseball. They've done this with a bit of a patchwork rotation. Joe Musgrove suffered a setback in his return from Tommy John surgery and Nick Pivetta joined him on the IL due to a flexor tendon injury. Yu Darvish is expected to spend the entire season on the restricted list after offseason elbow surgery.
The rotation until Giolito joins is Michael King, Randy Vásquez, Walker Buehler, Matt Waldron and Germán Márquez. It's unclear what ramp-up time Giolito will need.
The Padres have two more games against the Rockies this week before heading to Arizona for a two-game series and then returning home Monday for a three-game set against the Cubs.
Q&A
What are Lucas Giolito's career highlights before joining the Padres?
Lucas Giolito is a former All-Star who finished sixth in Cy Young voting in 2019 and has a career record of 10-4 with a 3.41 ERA in the 2025 season.
Why did Lucas Giolito's free agency take so long?
Giolito's free agency lingered due to his recovery from elbow surgery that cost him the entire 2024 season, impacting his market value.
How does Giolito's signing affect the Padres' pitching rotation?
Giolito's addition provides much-needed depth to the Padres' rotation, which is currently dealing with injuries to key pitchers like Joe Musgrove and Yu Darvish.
