Red Sox starter is free agent at this time and San Francisco is one of three teams mentioned as possible landing spot.
While someone like Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Freddy Peralta has been in the news as a possible trade target for some teams, the San Francisco Giants might want to look elsewhere.
But where should their attention be aimed at this time? Why not take a run at free agent starting pitcher Lucas Giolito.
Giolito had a pretty good season in 2025 for the Boston Red Sox. It didn't start out that way, but he managed to finish strong.
With that strong finish, the Giants are one of three teams being pegged as possible landing spots for the 2026 MLB season. Besides San Francisco, the Red Sox and a possible return to the Washington Nationals are being mentioned in the offseason. There's also been some interest shown by the New York Yankees in the right-hander, too.
In a recent article from The Athletic, the publication lists the top 50 free agents available on the market at this time. Giolito comes in at the No. 30 position on the list, too. He pitched 145 innings for Boston last season and that was after getting off to a slow start.
"Coming off a 2024 season lost to UCL surgery, Giolito didn’t make his 2025 debut until April 30 and had a 6.40 ERA through the first week of June," The Athletic article indicates. "Beginning June 10, though, Giolito pitched to a 2.51 ERA in his final 19 starts, becoming such a reliable piece of the Red Sox rotation that he finished with a 3.41 ERA in 145 innings.
"By exceeding 140 innings, Giolito turned a team option in his contract into a mutual option, which let him opt into free agency at 31 years old after declining his end of a $17.5 million pact," the article continues.
"Giolito didn’t strike out as many batters as he did in his prime, but he returned to form as a mid-rotation workhorse," according to The Athletic. "From 2018-23, he threw the eighth-most innings in baseball. He missed this year’s postseason with an elbow injury, but not one that’s expected to affect his 2026 season."
In 2025, Giolito finished with a 10-4 record and a 3.41 ERA. He started 26 games for the Red Sox, showing some signs of durability as the season went on for Boston. In his nine-season MLB career, Giolito has pitched for the Nationals, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels, Cleveland Guardians, and Red Sox.
Giolito played for the White Sox for seven seasons and had a 4.20 ERA in his tenure there.
Should the Giants make a run at Giolito, The Athletic article points out that he's possibly going to look for a three-year, $57 million contract. Would San Francisco pour out that much money for him?
That might just happen. But Giants fans are going to have to be watching what the ballclub does at the Winter Meetings.