Lucas Giolito Signs With Padres and the Rotation Just Got a Lot Deeper
The San Diego Padres landed one of the last big arms sitting on the free agent market, inking veteran right-hander Lucas Giolito to a one-year deal on Wednesday. The move comes at exactly the right time for a team that's been dealing with a rotation held together with duct tape and determination. Giolito will report to Class A Lake Elsinore first to build back his endurance before joining the Padres in mid-May.
The Arm the Padres Desperately Needed
San Diego's rotation has been an absolute nightmare. Opening Day starter Nick Pivetta landed on the injured list last week with a right elbow flexor strain that could sideline him for months. Joe Musgrove still hasn't made his season debut after a slower-than-expected recovery from Tommy John surgery. Yu Darvish is already done for the year with an elbow injury. And Dylan Cease? He walked out the door last fall for a $210 million free-agent contract with Toronto.
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👉 Claim Your Free $10 at KalshiYet somehow, the Padres are rolling. San Diego sits at 16-7 with the second lowest team ERA in the majors at 3.22. They're even with the back-to-back champion Los Angeles Dodgers for the best record in baseball after beating Colorado 1-0 on Tuesday night. That's 11 wins in their last 12 games. Now they're adding Giolito to the mix.
Why This Works For San Diego
Giolito, 31, went 10-4 with a 3.41 ERA over 26 starts last year for the Boston Red Sox after missing all of 2024 with a right ulnar collateral ligament injury repaired with an internal brace. He's a Southern California native with serious pedigree: an All-Star in 2019, a no-hitter thrower in 2020, and a guy who ranks in the top five among AL pitchers from 2018 to '25 in innings pitched (1,092), strikeouts (1,153), wins (68) and complete games (5).
The deal includes a mutual option for 2027. Financial terms weren't disclosed, but GM A.J. Preller somehow worked it under the budget even while the team navigates an ownership transition. The family of late owner Peter Seidler is nearing a sale to billionaire Jose E. Feliciano and his wife, Kwanza Jones.
The Padres' rotation currently includes Michael King, Randy Vasquez, and German Marquez. With Giolito added to that mix, suddenly this team looks a whole lot more dangerous down the stretch.
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