Rangers Named Logical Fit for Former All-Star Free Agent Starting Pitcher

Could the Texas Rangers still land themselves a top of the rotation starter?

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The Texas Rangers entered the offseason hoping to take steps to get back to the postseason after back-to-back missed appearances following their first World Series title in franchise history.

While that team two years ago's bread and butter was largely offense and especially clutch hitting, Texas has gotten a bit away from that in the last couple of seasons. This is a Rangers team which now tries to win with pitching.

Despite some elite starting pitching to start the season, Texas faded down the stretch largely due to a lack of depth, and they would love to add another name there. In an article naming each team's biggest remaining need, Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report talked about how the Rangers want another starter, but his most logical suggested fit was fascinating.

Along with his analysis, Reuter said the best fit for Texas is Boston Red Sox former All-Star free agent Lucas Giolito.

Rangers Best Fit Named as Red Sox Star Lucas Giolito

May 6, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Lucas Giolito before start of game against Texas Rangers at Fenway Park. | David Butler II-Imagn Images

"The Rangers rotation was propped up by 37-year-old Jacob deGrom and 35-year-old Nathan Eovaldi in 2025, and expecting that tandem to combine for 52 starts and 302.2 innings once again might be wishful thinking," Reuter wrote. "Chris Bassitt, Zack Littell and Nick Martinez would make sense, or they could aim slightly higher for someone like Zac Gallen or Lucas Giolito."

While all the names that Reuter mentioned could prove to be a strong fit, Giolito should be the main name they have their eye on in terms of potential to make a real difference in this starting rotation. Coming off the best season for the right-hander since his All-Star campaign in 2019, he has a chance to cash in this winter still.

Whether or not it's with Texas remains to be seen, but he could be a perfect fit.

Giolito Could Be Final Piece for Rangers

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Boston got some criticism for signing Giolito to a one-year deal that contained an option for a second coming off an ugly campaign in 2024 with three different teams, and the right-hander responded with a phenomenal campaign.

The 31-year-old was able to make 26 starts and post a 3.41 ERA and 1.290 WHIP, good enough for a win-loss record of 10-4 and an impressive bWAR of 2.1. Though his strikeout numbers were way down, as were his walk numbers, Giolito started to figure out how to be effective again.

Given that the year was solid but not incredible, it would likely be a shorter-term agreement for Giolito to prove it once again, and there's no better place for this to happen than Texas. If the Rangers liked what they saw from Giolito this year, they should go out and land him for the middle of their rotation.