Almost 17 months after signing with the Red Sox, Lucas Giolito is finally set to make his first official appearance in a Boston uniform. Manager Alex Cora told reporters (including the Boston Globe’s Pete Abraham) that Giolito will be reinstated from the 15-day injured list on Wednesday, and start that day’s game in Toronto against the Blue Jays.
Giolito signed a two-year, $38.5MM free agent deal with the Sox in January 2024, with the second season technically a player option year that Giolito could have declined in order to re-enter free agency. There is also a conditional option that triggered when Giolito declined to opt out, as the Red Sox now hold a $14MM club option on Giolito’s services for 2026. That club option can become a $19MM mutual option with a $1.5MM buyout if Giolito pitches at least 140 innings in 2025, which remains possible even though he has already missed a month of action.
Back in the 2023-24 offseason, the deal was seen as something of a bet-on-yourself type of pillow contract for Giolito, who was trying to rebuild his stock after underwhelming results in each of the previous two seasons. The right-hander’s ideal scenario would’ve seen him post strong enough numbers in 2024 to establish himself as a frontline starter, and then opt out of the final year of his Boston contract in order to land a much lengthier and pricier deal with the Sox or another team last winter.
Unfortunately for Giolito, that plan was almost immediately ruined when he suffered a partial right UCL tear and a flexor tendon strain during Spring Training. The injury required an internal brace procedure that ended Giolito’s season before it even began, though the one silver lining is that Giolito at least avoided a Tommy John surgery that would’ve delayed his return until closer to the middle of this season. If anything, Giolito might’ve been back already if it wasn’t for a hamstring strain suffered in Spring Training that led to this month-long stint on the 15-day IL.
Giolito has made five starts during his minor league rehab assignment, and a 5.19 ERA across those 17 1/3 rehab innings isn’t as important as the fact that Giolito is feeling healthy and ready to re-launch his big league career. With Brayan Bello also returning from a season-opening IL stint last week, Boston’s rotation is starting to round into form after a spate of injuries left the staff scrambling for depth. Though Kutter Crawford and Richard Fitts remain sidelined, the Sox will now have a set starting five of Garrett Crochet, Walker Buehler, Tanner Houck, Bello, and Giolito. Sean Newcomb will likely move from the rotation into a depth role at Triple-A, or perhaps a spot in Boston’s pen.
It’s also been discussed that the Sox could go to a six-man rotation.
Cal – Definitely, but there are three factors that could prevent that from happening:
1) Houck continuing to suck, thanks to the Red Sox forcing him to drastically reduce the use of fastballs
2) Cora not wanting to lose a reliever because he loves his matchups
3) Additional injuries
And for what they lost acquiring Crochet, and the massive contract they gave him, I don’t want him starting every 6th game.
Good to have options.. Hoping Fitts recovers soon.
That’s quite a picture for the article. Dude looks 45 years old heating a baseball under a 7-11 hotdog roller.
Ballpark Franks ad.
Better late than never. I assume this bumps Newcomb to the pen when this happens, which should make the whole pitching situation a bit deeper. Zack Kelly facing the axe?
Zack is in AAA.
But he is currently on the 40 man, Super
Zack Kelly will not be a DFA as Crawford can be put on the 60-day if a spot is needed on the 40-man.
So is Giolito.
Oh, I missed that I guess. He was pitching in the last game I was able to catch on tv.
Meow – There’s plenty of candidates to get sent down.
Criswell, Guerrero, Newcomb or Weissert.
The only one who is truly safe no matter how bad he pitches is Hendriks.
Newcomb can’t possibly have any options left, can he?
Jeff: Correct. Newcomb has no options left.
Jeff – Correct, he is out of options and would have to clear waivers.
Meow – Newcomb has already been demoted to the bullpen.
It was his turn to pitch Tuesday, but instead Crochet is pitching on normal rest despite 110 pitches in his last start.
Let’s hope Crochet can man-up and give us at least 7.
Fever Pitch Guy: “Let’s hope Crochet can man-up and give us at least 7.”
============
Clown comment. Crochet has manned up with the best pitchers so far this year:
Crochet: 6 starts, 37 IP, 1.95 ERA
Skenes: 6 starts, 37.2 IP, 2.39 ERA
Wheeler: 6 starts, 37.1 IP, 3.62 ERA
Skubal: 5 starts, 28.2 IP, 2.83 ERA
In his defense, I think Fever only meant that in the sense that he’s pitching on 4-days’ rest having thrown 110 pitches his last time out, so 7 IP would likely be a tiring feat.
Not really. He’s going to throw right around 100 pitches regardless. If it’s over 7 innings instead of 5 that would likely be less tiring as he’d be throwing fewer pitches each inning.
MeowMeow: I assumed this was another anti-Crochet comment from Fever Pitch Guy. He said this two days ago:
“Crochet needs to drastically up his game. The Red Sox gave up a ton of talent to acquire him and gave him a massive contract extension. No more excuses from him, he needs to start earning it.”
mlbtraderumors.com/2025/04/red-sox-expected-to-act…
He said this yesterday:
“instead of holding onto Nick the Red Sox may have given up a boatload of talented prospects and a $170M contract for a pitcher who is WORSE than Pivetta! How embarrassing for the Red Sox.”
mlbtraderumors.com/2025/04/poll-should-nick-pivett…
Pivetta can be added to the above list with 5 starts, 30 IP and 1.20 ERA.
Oh, idk, I’m not totally versed in the MLBTR comments section lore, was just giving a guy the benefit of the doubt.
Crochet has been as advertised I’m not familiar with the previous comments but the dude is a true ace. Whats more that guy wants the ball and he’s his own worse critic. He expects perfection and he doesn’t make excuses he’s been worth every penny of the cost barring an injury he’s a true ace and something the Red Sox haven’t had in quite some time.
Another note I like Bailey he seems to be a good pitching coach but for gods sake let Houck pitch off the sinker and slider. Yes he’s given up some early home runs off the sinker but that pitch gets him ground outs and quick at bats instead of nibbling with that sweeper and split fingered pitch. Once he started to use that sinker more after his terrible first inning today he was really good. Bello should pitching off that bowling ball sinker as well let them beat it into the ground let your guys field it and get some easy quick outs. These guys aren’t strikeout guys like Crochet is put the ball in play in the ground.
Suit – How dare you bring statistics and comparisons to this conversation! You’re supposed to scale judgement for the entire season off the eye test of 1 months worth of starts.