Free-agent right-hander Lucas Giolito has agreed to a two-year, $38.5 million deal with the Red Sox, a source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand on Friday. The deal, which has not been confirmed by the club, includes an opt-out after 2024.
What a season it was for Giolito, who finished 2023 with a 4.88 ERA over 184 1/3 innings with three teams.
Giolito started the season with the White Sox (3.79 ERA in 121 innings) before being acquired by the Angels at the Trade Deadline. He pitched to a 6.89 ERA in six starts with Los Angeles before moving again to Cleveland, where he had a 7.04 ERA in six starts. That led to Giolito making the wrong kind of history, as he became the first pitcher since 1899 to allow eight or more runs in a game for three different teams, per OptaSTATS.
Prior to this season, Giolito had spent six straight seasons with the White Sox, who acquired him from the Nationals in December 2016 as a part of the package in return for Adam Eaton. His best season came in 2019 when he went 14-9 with a 3.41 ERA in 176 2/3 innings while leading all of baseball in complete games (three) and shutouts (two) en route to finishing sixth in the Cy Young Award voting.
He finished with a 3.48 and 3.53 ERA in 2020 and ‘21, respectively, to earn some down-ballot Cy Young votes, and he also threw a no-hitter during the ‘20 season.
At only 29, there should be plenty of gas left in Giolito’s tank; but it’s up to him to prove that he can be back to his dominant self. His biggest problem in 2023 was hard contact. He ranked in the 8th percentile in barrel rate and the 32nd percentile in hard-hit rate, which are two of the biggest reasons he led the American League in home runs allowed (41).
