Red Sox Free Agent Lucas Giolito Reportedly In Talks With AL Rival

Where will Giolito's next chapter play out?

Sep 6, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito (54) pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the third inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images | Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images

Lucas Giolito's tenure with the Boston Red Sox was one of many ups and downs, and based on all the circumstantial evidence, it appears that tenure will end after two years.

Giolito pitched well in 26 starts for the Red Sox last year after missing all of 2024 due to a UCL tear that required internal brace surgery. But he suffered an unexpected elbow injury that prevented him from pitching in Boston's playoff series against the rival New York Yankees, and in the three months since, the Red Sox have added two new starters to the staff.

Giolito himself admitted last month that a reunion seemed unlikely during his appearance on the "Baseball Isn't Boring" podcast. But he's clearly still a solid major league starter who will land on his feet somewhere -- meaning the Red Sox will take an interest in seeing where that may be.

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Giolito, Tigers a potential match?

On Saturday, a new potential suitor for Giolito was revealed, as Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic reported that he was in talks with the Detroit Tigers.

"The Detroit Tigers continue to explore the starting-pitching market, talking to free-agent right-handers Lucas Giolito and Chris Bassitt, among others, according to a person briefed on their conversations," wrote Rosenthal and Sammon.

"The potential for an addition might be less likely if they lose their arbitration case with left-hander Tarik Skubal and end up paying him $32 million instead of $19 million."

Skubal's arbitration case, which was revealed as a likely outcome on Thursday, hangs like a cloud over the Detroit organization. But the Tigers still project to be strong competitors for the Red Sox and other American League contenders, as they advanced one round past Boston in the playoffs in October.

Giolito, as we saw with the Red Sox last year, can be quite effective as a mid-rotation guy on a team with a dominant lefty ace. His peripherals indicated that he might be due for some regression in comparison to the 3.41 ERA he posted, but he could also fare well in Detroit, which is a pitcher-friendly park.

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