The Boston Red Sox have gotten a lot more out of veteran Lucas Giolito than they expected, as he has become an integral part of the starting rotation. This however, may not be good for his future in Boston.
This season, Giolito has pitched 119 innings, and is 21 innings away from a mutual option, where he can leave the Sox and opt for free agency.
Giolito signed with the Sox in 2024 on a two-year, $38.5 million contract with a club option for a third year, and the 140 inning clause mentioned previously. Giolito didn’t pitch in the 2024 season due to elbow issues.
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This season, he’s pitched out of his mind, with a record of 9-2, an ERA of 3.47, and 99 strikeouts. Since June 10th, he’s had an ERA of 2.49, with 68 of his 99 K’s.
This is great for the Sox this season, as they have yet another superstar pitcher who can shut down games, and hopefully help them with a deep playoff run.
The only problem is with the mutual option, Giolito can opt out of the $14 million he would’ve gotten from the club option, and could ask for a longer, bigger contract due to this year’s success.
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As seen with the Red Sox in the past, they aren’t willing to shell out big contracts. They did with Garrett Crochet, but that’s it. The only other close contract is Alex Bregman’s, but he’s likely to opt-out and do the same as Giolito, and ask for a bigger, longer one.
Hopefully the Sox can keep him either way, through a mutual option or negotiate a new, long-term contract. Giolito has shown he can be a beast for Boston, and that’s what they need.
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