Lucas Giolito's Former Teammate Calls Him 'Perfect Fit' With Padres

The San Diego Padres began the 2026 season with a thin rotation.

All-Star Joe Musgrove suffered a setback in his recovery from Tommy John surgery this spring. He started the season on the injured list and has yet to make his season debut.

While Musgrove's injury wasn't ideal, that opened the door for two veteran pitchers to earn their way onto the Opening Day roster. The rotation ultimately began with Michael King, Nick Pivetta, Randy Vásquez, Walker Buehler and Germán Márquez.

The unit lost Pivetta early in the season, and that put president of baseball operations A.J. Preller promptly into action.

Not long after Pivetta joined Musgrove on the IL, speculation began to swirl that the Padres would sign the best free agent pitcher available in Lucas Giolito.

Lo and behold, the Padres were successful in their efforts and inked the right-hander to a one-year, $3 million deal.

There's one Padre in particular who was especially excited to hear the news of the Giolito signing.

When Gavin Sheets made his MLB debut in June 2021 for the Chicago White Sox, Giolito was an anchor for the team's rotation. Sheets spent three seasons with Giolito in Chicago, before the right-hander was traded at the deadline in 2023.

Now, the two will be reunited in sunny San Diego as members of the Padres.

"Fired up about it," Sheets said of the Giolito signing. "Played four years with him. I've seen him pitch in really big games, really big playoff games and hostile environments. He's a big game pitcher. He's a guy that wants the ball. He's a guy that does really well in big games. Really happy to see us get him and I think he can add a lot to this team.

"This ball park plays well for him. His stuff is going to play really well here. Honestly, I think it's a perfect fit."

"His stuff is going to play really well here. Honestly, I think it's a perfect fit."

Gavin Sheets loves the addition of his former White Sox teammate, Lucas Giolito, to the Padres@FriarTerritory pic.twitter.com/QOfzJ11pTg
— Marty Caswell (@MartyCaswell) April 27, 2026

While there's much excitement surrounding the new addition the rotation, Sheets won't get to see his former teammate in action for a few weeks.

Giolito isn't set to make his debut until mid-May as he began an assignment at Single-A Lake Elsinore, where he's ramping up before making his first start for the Padres. Giolito was hit in the thumb by a comebacker in his first outing, but remains on track for a mid-May debut.

"It's fine, it's just a little bruised up. But it was kind of a fun return, you know, 103 [mph] at my face," Giolito said after the game. "Just reacted and unfortunately got the wrong hand, but feels fine right now."

The right-hander is coming off a 2025 season where he went 10-4 with a 3.41 ERA and 121 strikeouts across 145 innings for the Boston Red Sox. He's now taking his talents to the west coast and one of the most competitive divisions in baseball.

According to Sheets, that is the exact type of environment Giolito thrives in.

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