Lucas Giolito‘s protracted 2025-2026 free agency stint has finally ended after signing with the Padres. Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Giolito has a $3MM base salary, while Robert Murray of FanSided was the first to report contract escalators up to $8MM. To make room on the 40-man, the Padres announced that righty Bryan Hoeing has been transferred to the 60-day IL. Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports that Giolito will start with Single-A Lake Elsinore and must be on the Major League roster within the next 25 days. Giolito is represented by CAA Sports.
For Giolito, his second foray into free agency was not nearly as successful as his first. After signing a two-year deal with the Red Sox in the ’23-’24 offseason, Giolito underwent Tommy John early in 2024. He returned to throw 145 innings in 2025, but ERA evaluators like SIERA (4.65) were more bearish on his work than his actual results (3.41). Notably, Giolito’s strikeouts were down from his heyday with the White Sox; he profiled more as a back-of-the-rotation starter than the ace-like upside he flashed from ’19-’21 with Chicago. Despite a solid return to the rotation, Giolito suffered from flexor irritation and a bone issue at the conclusion of the 2025 season; while he was set to return to the club after a short rest, the Red Sox’s early postseason exit meant Giolito had no chance to pitch again before free agency.
Giolito passed on his end of a $19MM mutual option (essentially a formality) with the Red Sox for 2026, and it perhaps came as no surprise that the Red Sox passed on extending Giolito a qualifying offer after the 2025 season due to some lingering injury trepidation. Even without draft pick compensation attached, Giolito has lingered on the free agent market well into April, despite some notable playoff aspirants like the Braves, Cubs, and Padres losing starters in Spring Training and the early season.
For the Padres, the news couldn’t come at a better time. With Yu Darvish out all of 2026 rehabbing, Joe Musgrove backed off his buildup from his Tommy John rehab, and Nick Pivetta resting an elbow strain, the San Diego rotation has precious little depth. Back-of-the-rotation arms like German Marquez, Walker Buehler, and Matt Waldron have offered mixed results. Notably, only seven of the teams’ first twenty-three games have had a starter pitch into the fifth inning, forcing first-year manager Craig Stammen to get creative with his bullpen. While Griffin Canning is on the horizon while working through a Triple-A El Paso rehab, Giolito should (at the very least) bolster the back-end of the Padres’ rotation while they wait for their frontline reinforcements to arrive.
More to come.
Lucas with the lid off!
I just recently figured out that’s the name of that song after looking for 30 years
Man I wish I could bottle that feeling. This recently happened to me when I finally stumbled upon the sneaker pimps “6 underground” title and artist after having it earworming me on and off since the mid 90s.
Quite a feeling for sure. That’s how I felt when I finally learned the name of Darude Sandstorm when I was 11.
Same for me with Kernkraft 400 by Zombie Nation.
wooooooooooah wooooooooooah wooooooooooah
I loved that song so much when it was released and started listening to it again. Such a wonderfully unique song.
Oops I did it again the one that I just discovered
Finally! He’s got the job! The Padres have a big need for starters and Giolito is a great solution!
He is?
Let’s see if Niebla can work his magic with him
I’ll take those 2025 stats
His baseball card stats are … fine. But looking under the hood, and actually watching his performance last year paints a different picture. One of which is of a starter that can’t be trusted, is trending in the wrong direction all across the board and should be easily improved on by some depth piece. Eat fresh.
Smelly – Two things to keep in mind:
1) He ended last season with an arm injury, then claimed he’s fine. Similar to what he told Boston 2 years ago, which turned out to be 100% false.
2) He missed all of ST and the first month of the regular season already. Pitchers who start this late in the season typically struggle, at least for a while.
There’s a reason he’s getting only $3M this season.
This reminds me of that meme-type interview from Katy Perry, “Sometimes you just have to say that you’re fine, but you’re not really fine”.
He is indeed!
The Padres pitching staff has the lowest ERA in baseball. Their rotation has a 3.50 ERA. Their #4 starter has an ERA under 2.00. Buehler, their #5, seems to have turned a corner and is pitching well his last 2 starts. They have Canning, who was really good for us in Boston last season, coming in the next week or so. Unless Pivetta is out for the season they really have no need for pitching.
Right now with Musgrove and Pivetta out for who knows how long, Matt Waldron and Marquez are in the rotation. Id lean towards neither of those guys being a solution.
So even with Canning back, there is a spot.
Giolito won’t be ready for at least a month.
Canning is making his 4th and probably final rehab start today and will take a spot in the rotation. Marquez has a 3.86 ERA so he won’t be losing his. King and Vasquez have been great. Buehler has been very effective his last 2 starts and if that continues until Giolito is ready won’t lose his spot. Where is the spot in the rotation?
Marquez hasn’t been great even with a 3.86 era
I still think the verdict is still out on Buehler and Marquez (who were low cost flyers to begin with). Giolito for $3M won’t be ready for a month or so. By then there may be a spot in the rotation. If not, awesome, that means things are going really well and $3M wasn’t a big risk.
Acee reported just now that Giolito has to be added to active roster by May 16
You’re facts are correct but I’d argue that for $3M, picking up Giolito as depth was smart especially given the questions marks surrounding Pivetta, Musgrove and Waldron. Trades in April for SP are hard to come by and the Pads did need to deal with the lack of depth created by the injuries.
The $ figures had not been posted in the article at first. A prorated portion of a $3 million deal makes it worth it for depth.
Gio went into the offseason asking for 2/40 and I was glad Breslow didn’t even entertain bringing him back. That dropped to 2/32 later and still no bites. Now its a prorated 1/3. At that price, good for the Padres. They have already been hit hard by injuries and if another hits before the ASB Giolito could have a spot at the back of their rotation.
Waldron’s DFA is coming soon.
Finally, I don’t have to hear about him going to the Cubs anymore!
Why?
A prorated one year $3MM veteran insurance policy for a Cubs rotation in need of reinforcements seems a like a reasonable cost to me.
Cade Horton is done for 2025 and Justin Steele will be a huge question mark following his own TJ procedure last April. I don’t have faith in either Ben Brown or Jaxon Wiggins as rotation solutions this season.
Brown is more suited to the bullpen and is needed there with injuries now impacting that part of the staff.
Wiggins has his own injury concerns at AAA to say nothing of relying on a rookie who lacks consistency AND the necessary innings buildup to handle a starting pitcher workload for a contending team down the stretch.
Lucas Giolito would have been a decent and cheap insurance policy to add to the Cubs rotation mix that also includes other veterans with durability and performance questions as they try to contend in MLB’s most competitive division while trying to line up with the Dodgers, Padres, Braves and other NL contenders in the postseason.
A big need for starters or a need for big starters
Well how about that?
Pivetta and/or Musgrove might be worse off than they’re reporting
I would be shocked to see Pivetta again this season. Hope I’m very wrong.
That’s the only reason I could think of for signing him. He was good, but not great in Boston last season but ended the season injured. I wish him well. The Padres are really playing well. Maybe he can get a ring with them.
Like I said in another reply, let’s see what Niebla can do with him.
The last statements reported from Padres on Pivetta is that it’s a matter of weeks or months. The “…or months” part is not good.
Musgrove’s situation is less encouraging.
how long will he need to ramp up. a month?
Corbin signed what two weeks ago he’s already started three games.
Phil – He will need 25 days at the most.
He was already worked up to 4 innings on his own last week. Probably just two starts depending on results.
Worked up where? Against whom? His nephews t ball squad?
Kyle – Unless someone from the Padres was there in person to witness it, I wouldn’t trust anything that was said. He’s trying to sell himself, think of it as a resume.
How much????
$3 million
Good thing he held out to get paid “what he is worth.”
$3mm is a great deal for the Padres.
Giolito and Buehler together again. Could be good depth in a month or so.
He belongs with Reynaldo Lopez
Might say more about the injury status of Pivetta and Musgrove than anything. But it’s a great sign to see the FO wanting to compete this year. Now the bats need to get going!
Brew, if you would have told me that Tatis would have 0 Hr, Manny and Cro both under .200, no Yu, Pivetta and Joe in rotation AND they have the best record in MLB – seriously!
The most important take is willingness to spend to solve a problem (injury) in rotation.
Greupner/AJ have been saying payroll is flexible and that they’d spend as they have to compete for playoffs/championship. So this is consistent with that messaging. New ownership is also likely to be attracted to the effort to compete (let’s hope anyway).
I don’t expect much out of Giolito (about as much as I would from Buehler and Marquez) but they do need some depth support with the unfortunate health issues with Pivetta and Musgrove.
Brew, I’m thinking Waldron has 1 more start and then DFA due to no options. Maybe we keep him on minors league deal. Canning takes his spot.
25 days from now, if Gio is good to go, either WB or GM takes the same route for Gio to join.
Then, the other one goes for Joe or Nick when they return.
Basically, best performing player gets to stay at each step.
Maybe we keep one or 2 or maybe a trade can happen.
The “depth” element won’t last long though due to the lack of options on these guys.
An IL stint for anyone could delay some.
San Diego continues to stay classy
By making poor signings?
Kinda depends on what the amount is, but I’m happy to see the article title isn’t “Cubs Sign…”
Always liked Giolito. Didn’t like how fast Rizzo & Co. gave him up at all. Wish they’d have signed him instead of Lattel.
Not even a discount why wait this long 😭
Didn’t he want over $19m? How is this not a discount?
Right, over-under on his first trip to the IL?
The best part about Lucas G is how his uncle portrayed Susan’s father. “They’re all chickens. The rooster has sex with all of them”.
Yup, his grandfather actually, Warren Frost as “Mr. Ross”, in a memorable episode! 🤣
Oh my bad. Is his uncle twin peaks co creator Mark Frost? I got the family tree jumbled.
You are correct Si⅔r!
It’s $3 mil….no biggie if he isn’t the answer to whatever the question is
Steve, as a Minnesotian you are plugged in probably more to the Twins than most. What did you think of Falvey as a baseball man? Woukd he be someone you would want to hire as a GM or POBO? Just curious. Keep up the good work.
Sorry, I intended this comment for a different post.
Add a little pitching depth first half of the season. Possibly create some trade value for the second half…
3 million isn’t that much for a mid rotation starter. Good pickup hope he does well this year.
I knew there was no way he was going to get more than $25 million per season for 2 years, it is just like Jake Arrieta.After he was a free agent for the Cubs, his agency wanted 5 years and $200 million dollars, he settled with the Phillies for 3 years and $75 million dollars, and to my knowledge, I do not think he was injured for his free agency. I still think $3million dollars is risky for a pitcher who might have arm problems.
They should have given him the minimum salary, and loaded his contract with incentives.
“Should have given him” – that isn’t really how it works.
I’m sure he turned down any such offers over the past 6 weeks.
Adds to the Buehler, Canning, Walker, Marquez group of guys who might pan out and don’t cost much.
So far the strategy is largely working.
I am not paying a pitcher $3million dollars who might have arm problems…it is that simple.
I like this for the Padres. Giolito wore down at the end of last season but there were stretches where he looked like a second ace for the Red Sox last season
Go padres!! Stinking Dodgers
Low cost option for SD. And, given how the market valued him this past off-season, a chance for him to regain stature. Yes, he and his agent seem to have misjudged, but it’s a few months and a few million.
I finally watched Amadeus. Great movie.
Cubs figure they got lucky with Rea and Boyd is back today so keep the $ in mothballs and if they lose again this year like they did last year because they didn’t have enough pitching oh well, they’ll fill the park up next year and the year after …
Gotta figure this got over the line because they are anticipating a lengthy absence from Pivetta.
Wow Giolito messed up royally. Passed on $19 million to get… $3 million.
I am curious about something though. If Giolito is not ready to be called up in 25 days, is this a split contract where he gets paid minor league money for the 25 days? Is he then released and is a free agent again. Good luck to him if that happens.
There is pretty much no way he will be ready to go 90 or more pitches in 4 minor league starts after missing all of spring training.
Or is he going to pitch out of the Padres already best in baseball bullpen? Take Kyle Hart’s place as long man?
What does this mean for Pivetta and Musgrove? Canning is throwing his last rehab start today. He will step into the rotation in place of Waldron. King, Vasquez, Marquez, Buehler, Canning. Even if Pivetta and Musgrove are out for the season, where does Giolito fit into that picture?
Little wary of this signing
Been too long on the market
Conditioning might be a question mark
May need a month in minors to ramp up to game
Speed
Could wind up on the 60 himself if he’s thrown on the mound too soon