Boston Red Sox
Giolito opted out of his deal with the Red Sox after a strong 2025, but hasn’t landed a new contract yet.
Lucas Giolito had a good 2025 for the Red Sox, and as a result elected to opt-out of his deal in Boston in search of a new opportunity elsewhere.
However, as spring training games commence for 2026, the middle-rotation pitcher remains unsigned. That comes as a shock to Boston’s current ace pitcher, Garrett Crochet.
At one point in 2025, Crochet and Giolito were a two-headed monster guiding the Red Sox to their postseason berth. And for Giolito, whose first season in Boston was derailed by injury, 2025 provided a resurgence in the lineup.
“It’s insane. It just doesn’t make a ton of sense,” Crochet said of his former teammate’s free agent status.
Giolito had a mutual option for 2026 with the Red Sox, which he was able to trigger based on total innings pitched in 2025. He determined his value would be greater than the $19 million he was on the books for in 2026, so opted to test the waters of free agency. That decision hasn’t panned out so far.
“It’s at the point where … ‘what even is his price range’, because for the value he’s providing, I would say he’s outplaying his deal,” Crochet said. “If you look at the one year for $18 million, I’d say he outplayed that. … When you’re looking at the ceiling and the floor, there’s not a huge difference there. There’s not a lot of pedigree and a lot of recent success.”
The Red Sox, however, don’t seem to be a likely landing spot for Giolito at this point in time. Since Giolito opted out of his deal, Boston wound up trading for a prominent starter in Sonny Gray. It now has one of the best projected starting rotations in the MLB.
Crochet will be the focal point of that rotation, while young pitchers Payton Tolle and Connelly Early will each use spring training to earn a spot at the bottom of the rotation, or as an extra arm in the bullpen in 2026.
For Giolito, it’s a safe assumption he’ll be signed soon, given his production level and dwindling starting pitching options left on the market. He posted a 3.41 ERA and 10-4 record in 2025.
“It’s been that way for a while,” Crochet explained. “The middle of the market on both the position player and pitching side kind of gets screwed up and ends up either signing after the season begins or what have you.”
Boston’s spring training is in full-swing and will help flesh out its full rotation by the time Opening Day rolls around.
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