Red Sox Manager Responds to Surprise Lucas Giolito Market

The Boston Red Sox manager opened up about the hurler.

Sep 6, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito (54) celebrates after Boston Red Sox outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela (3) robs a home run during the fifth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images | Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images

Spring Training action has kicked off across the league and one player who surprisingly is available is former Boston Red Sox starter Lucas Giolito.

Giolito missed the playoffs for Boston, but was a consistent cog for the club all throughought season to the tune of a 3.41 ERA across 26 starts. He is the best available free agent at this moment, but he has yet to find a new home. Boston's rotation is completely full, so don't expect to see him coming back in the near future.

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But he can help a team with playoff aspirations win in 2026. It's hard to believe he is available. On Friday, Red Sox manager Alex Cora was asked about Giolito, but didn't have much of a response, but he did note that the veteran was an important piece for the club in 2025, as transcribed by MassLive.com's Christopher Smith.

The forrmer Red Sox hurler is available

Sep 17, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Lucas Giolito (54) pitches against the Athletics during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

"Red Sox' Alex Cora asked how big of a surprise it is that former Red Sox starter Lucas Giolito remains unsigned: 'I don't know. That's for the other 29 teams to talk about that.' Asked about what he meant to the Red Sox last year, Cora said: 'He was great. He did a good job. Just too bad at the end that he was banged up. A guy that we relied on,'" Smith shared.

Giolito is just 31 years old, is a former All-Star and is coming off a big 2025 season. There isn't much of a reason why he is not currently employed with a club. Now, one thing that is true each year is the fact that injuries pop up throughout Spring Training. There will come a time when a team gives Giolito a shot, but it's surprising that it has taken this long.

The Red Sox went in a different direction and are in a great place from a rotation perspective. But plenty of teams are not. There's really no reason why Giolito is still on the open market. Hopefully, we see the market start to move for the veteran.