Padres snag Lucas Giolito for a steal. Cubs search for pitching depth intensifies with other veterans still on the market.
The Chicago Cubs will not land free-agent starting pitcher Lucas Giolito.
The San Diego Padres officially signed the 31-year-old veteran to a one-year deal on Wednesday afternoon. The deal reportedly has a base salary of only $3 million that can rise to $8 million with incentives.
The Cubs were said to be interested in signing Giolito amid their early-season injuries. Ken Rosenthal reported last week that the North Siders were one of two teams pursuing the right-hander in free agency.
Unfortunately, Giolito winds up with the Padres on a cheap one-year deal with a mutual option for the 2027 season.
There’s no doubt that Giolito would have been a perfect fit for the Cubs' rotation. He would have given the team more starting pitcher depth, and the nine-year veteran would have been a solid backend starter.
More importantly, Giolito would have been a solid replacement for Cade Horton in the rotation. He finished with a 3.41 ERA across 145 innings last year and has been a consistent starter in the league over his career.
However, the Cubs will have to look elsewhere to add another starting pitcher.
The front office could continue to look at the free agent market to improve its pitching depth. Pitchers like Alex Cobb, Jon Gray, and Tyler Anderson are all available options the Cubs could look to sign in the coming months.
Cobb didn’t pitch at all during the 2025 season after battling a consistent hip issue. But he has posted solid numbers throughout his Major League career. The 38-year-old has a career 3.84 ERA across 1,327 ⅔ innings pitched. If the right-hander doesn’t decide to retire, he could be an option.
Gray is another pitcher who could decide to hang it up following an injury-riddled 2025 campaign. If he doesn’t, he could give the Cubs some starting pitcher depth later in the year. The 34-year-old has a combined 4.28 ERA in his last four seasons.
Then, there’s Anderson, who might be the best fit for the Cubs. He’s currently healthy and is the best starting pitcher remaining on the open market now that Giolito is signed. The southpaw has a combined 3.98 ERA across the past four years.
It’s surprising to see Giolito sign for just $3 million after the right-hander previously said he wanted a contract close to his "value." For $3 million, the Cubs should have absolutely been in on the former Red Sox pitcher.