Red Sox Hurler Takes Hard Stance On Whether He Wants To Be Traded
It’s been a tumultuous couple of years for Boston Red Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito.
After a strong run with the Chicago White Sox from 2017 to 2022 that included his first All-Star appearance, Giolito was suddenly traded to the Los Angeles Angels in July 2023. He was going through a divorce at the time, and the unexpected disruption to his professional life sent him into a tailspin on the field.
Giolito went from a 4.09 ERA and 2.7 WAR before the trade to a 6.96 ERA and -1.2 WAR after the trade, which included a season-ending stint with the Cleveland Guardians after the Angels waived him in August.
“It was crazy,” Giolito told MassLive’s Chris Cotillo. “I had been in Chicago for so long that I didn’t realize the impact it would have on me getting traded, being in a new place and having to quickly try and develop new relationships and all that kind of stuff. It wasn’t that difficult, but my performance suffered, for sure.”
He changed teams again that offseason after signing with the Red Sox, then missed the entire 2024 campaign after undergoing UCL surgery.
Now, after a delayed start to the 2025 season and a few up-and-down outings, the veteran right-hander is starting to pitch like his old self again. Aided by some tweaks to his pitch mix and mechanics, he’s strung together four straight quality starts and has allowed two earned runs or less in six of his last seven appearances, lowering his ERA to 3.99 through 11 starts.
With the 30-year-old finally settling in and feeling comfortable in Boston, he’s enjoying the stability and doesn’t want to leave.
“I have no desire to go through that again. I don’t want to be traded,” he told Cotillo. “I really love it here. I want to help this team win games to the end. I’m really pulling for us here.”
Giolito’s contract status for 2026 is currently up in the air, which makes him a potential trade candidate before the July 31 Trade Deadline. His deal includes a $14 million team option (or $1.5 million buyout) for next year if he throws fewer than 140 innings this season. If he reaches 140 innings, that becomes a $19 million mutual option.
With Giolito at 58 2/3 innings, he’ll need to stay healthy and keep pitching well to hit that benchmark. Either way, a return to the Red Sox is very much in play.
For now, he told Cotillo that he’s focused on sustaining his recent success and helping Boston win games.
“For me, the mindset is what’s in the present: stay on track with my work and my routine and when I get the ball, I want to give the Red Sox a chance to win each time out. That’s really it.”