Ex-Red Sox Starter Lucas Giolito Emerges for AL Contender

There is a lot of smoke out there in free agency right now.

That shouldn't surprise anyone too much at this point. The Boston Red Sox's pitchers and catchers will report to Spring Training on Feb. 10. That is just 14 days away as of writing. Over the next two weeks, we should start to see plenty of movement across the league as players attempt to latch on with teams to get a full Spring Training in.

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One former member of the organization to watch over the next two weeks is starting pitcher Lucas Giolito. He had a 3.41 ERA in 26 starts, but got hurt towards the end of the season and remains available, as of writing. On Monday, FanSided's Robert Murray dropped an update on Giolito and pointed towards the Detroit Tigers.

The former Red Sox starter is 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

"As far as Giolito goes, the Tigers definitely have interest here," Murray said. "That was a good report by Jon Heyman of the [New York Post]. They have been on him, but there is a good-sized market for Giolito. He's drawing a lot of interest. If they ended up signing him, it would get him reunited, obviously with Jack Flaherty, who was his high school teammate. One thing I would also mention too. Giolito, obviously, is one year removed from Tommy John.

"His Red Sox tenure didn't necessarily go how he wanted it to, by any means. But Detroit is known for its ability to develop pitching. I've heard from countless people who have been inside that building is that their pitching infrastructure is very highly-regarded. I think that would be a really nice fit for a guy like Giolito, if he wants to take a short-term contract [and] get back into the market. I think it makes a tremendous amount of sense. I would imagine that if they're on Giolito, they would be in some others too."

If Giolito were to land with the Tigers, the Red Sox would see him again in 2026. Boston has a four-game series against the Detroit Tigers at Fenway Park from April 17-20. Boston also has a three-game series against the Tigers on the road from May 4-6.

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