Copyright newsweek
The Boston Red Sox will need to address their starting rotation this offseason, especially after former All-Star hurler Lucas Giolito opted out of his contract. Giolito’s future with the Red Sox is uncertain. After a resurgent season in which the 31-year-old posted a 3.41 ERA with 121 strikeouts in 26 starts, Giolito will test free agency after his mutual option was declined. Boston has the opportunity to shell out a qualifying offer for the veteran hurler, which would be a slight raise worth roughly $22 million. Though Giolito had a bounce-back year after missing the entirety of the 2024 season, an elbow issue forced him to miss the playoffs and could make teams hesitate in free agency. The Athletic’s Tim Britton still projects that Giolito will command a three-year contract worth $57 million this offseason. BOSTON, MA – AUGUST 3: The Boston Red Sox logo is seen on a hat in the dugout during the game against the Houston Astros at Fenway Park on August 3, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images) “Two years ago, I compared Giolito (off his disastrous finish to the season with the Angels and Guardians) to Taijuan Walker and Jameson Taillon, projecting him to earn a four-year, $70 million deal,” Britton wrote Tuesday. “When he signed for basically half that, I felt a little stupid. Now, with the same comps, Giolito is positioned to outearn the deal I had initially proposed, provided his late-season elbow injury isn’t cause for deeper concern. “Giolito’s rockier health over the last two years probably shortens the length of the deal. But another one worth close to $20 million per season should be in the works.” It’s going to be interesting to see if Boston is willing to give Giolito an offer like that this winter. The veteran hurler was one of the team’s most consistent pitchers this season and helped lead the team to the playoffs for the first time since 2021. With the Red Sox likely to try to add pitching this offseason, a three-year deal at that price could make sense for the team. The Red Sox paid Giolito $19 million this season, so securing him for three more years for nearly the same value would be a major win, or they could give him a qualifying offer to see how he performs next season. If they give Giolito a qualifying offer and he signs a longer deal with another team, the Red Sox will get a draft pick in return. The deadline for extending the qualifying offer is Thursday. More MLB: Insider Predicts Red Sox Make Long-Awaited Trade With Padres
