MLB's Top Free Agent Called 'Inevitable' to Sign With Padres

The San Diego Padres are a team that could use some more pitching.

On the bright side, the Padres' starting rotation has been above average to kick off the 2026 season. San Diego has the 11th-ranked staff ERA at 3.53 through 23 games. On the negative side, the Padres aren't at full strength right now. Nick Pivetta, Griffin Canning and Joe Musgrove are all on the Injured List right now. The Padres are on a roll right now, despite the pitching injuries. San Diego is tied for the National League West lead at 16-7 and has won nine of its last 10 games.

The Padres could use one more hurler and there are rumors out there right now that the club could sign the top remaining free agent in Major League Baseball in Lucas Giolito. MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo wrote on X on Tuesday night, while citing "people in the industry," that some around the league think that it is "inevitable" that the Padres will sign Giolito.

"FWIW, have heard from some people in the industry who think Lucas Giolito and the Padres is an inevitable marriage that could take shape soon," Cotillo wrote on X.

The Former Boston Red Sox Hurler Is Still Available

Sep 12, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Lucas Giolito (54) delivers a pitch during the second inning against the New York Yankees at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images | Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

There's no denying the fact that Giolito is the top available free agent right now across the league. This has been the case for a while at this point. Giolito made 26 starts for the Boston Red Sox in 2025 and had a 3.41 ERA in 145 innings of work. Giolito missed the entire 2024 season after signing with Boston. He bounced back in 2025 and had one of the best seasons of his career, but he wasn't able to pitch in the playoffs due to an elbow issue. Reports surfaced before the World Series even came to an end this past fall indicating that he was alright.

So, clearly, it wasn't as if Giolito was battling some serious injury towards the end of the campaign. But that elbow issue certainly didn't help his market. It's April 22, as of writing, and he's far and away the top remaining available free agent. Beyond him, a few other top free agents are Nestor Cortes, Jesse Winker, Jose Iglesias, DJ LeMahieu and Marcus Stroman, among others. Of this group, you see a lot of aging players no longer in their primes. Giolito realistically should be. He is just 31 years old and was great in 2025 overall.

There's no denying the fact that Giolito is the top remaining free agent. If the Padres are going to be his next home, great. Even if it isn't the Padres, a team should swoop in and nab Giolito before someone else can.

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