Lucas Giolito has signed with the San Diego Padres after a quiet free agency period. This signing aims to strengthen the Padres' rotation following Nick Pivetta's injury.
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The free agency saga of Lucas Giolito has finally come to an end.
After being one of the top-rated free agents heading into the 2026 season, his offseason was relatively sparse. Despite interest from a number of clubs, his agents couldnāt seem to find a number they liked at any point in the offseason.
That changed this morning, as the San Diego Padres announced their signing of Giolito on X. The move is a way for the Friars to bolster their rotation after Nick Pivetta landed on the injured list for the indeterminate future. Heāll be able to join the club around mid-May.
Giolito needs to be added to the roster within 25 days of his signing. Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported that heāll open his season with Low-A Lake Elsinore. Thatās likely so that the Padresā coaching staff can evaluate him after the offseason. Giolito has said on numerous occasions that he has been pitching throughout his time off, but the trainers will still want to check out his stuff.
Itās been reported that the contract is worth $3 million and is prorated. That means that the Friars are only paying Giolito for the time heās spent with them (not for the portion of the season that heās missed thus far).
If that amount is correct, it would be a steal for San Diego. General manager A.J. Preller has overpaid in the past. Starting pitching is also at a premium across MLB, so to see one of the top-rated free agent pitchers go for $3 million as late as April 22 is surprising.
Lucas Giolito signed with the San Diego Padres to bolster their rotation after Nick Pivetta was placed on the injured list.
Lucas Giolito is expected to enhance the Padres' pitching depth and provide a reliable option in their rotation, especially with Pivetta's absence.
Lucas Giolito is expected to join the Padres around mid-May following his signing.
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Giolito has been a great back-end option for the Boston Red Sox the last few years. That culminated in a career-best 3.41 ERA in 2025. There was speculation that that wouldnāt last, with his underlying metrics painting a different picture. But the Padres (and their lack of starting pitching depth) are willing to bet on the right-hander.
Over the years, heās dealt with a myriad of injuries that have kept him off the mound. The Padres are hoping to get a full, healthy season from Giolito. If thatās the case, heāll factor as a depth option through the rest of 2026. Itās possible that he ends up shuttling between the majors and minors once everyone is healthy. But if Giolito competes well enough to earn a spot, the Friars may have no choice but to keep him around.
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