Spring training is underway, but Lucas Giolito is curiously still searching for an MLB team.
Giolito stands out as arguably the most notable remaining free agent in late February. The starting pitcher hasn't found a fruitful market despite recording a 3.41 ERA for the Boston Red Sox last season.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora couldn't explain the reason for Giolito's prolonged job search, per MassLive's Christopher Smith.
"I don't know," Cora said. "That's for the other 29 teams to talk about that."
After missing all of 2024 recovering from surgery, Giolito made 26 starts last season. An elbow injury cost him a chance to pitch in the playoffs, but the 31-year-old had a normal offseason program after declining a $19 million mutual option to enter free agency.
"He was great. He did a good job," Cora said of Giolito. "Just too bad at the end that he was banged up. A guy that we relied on."
Teams may see enough warning signs to be wary of giving Giolito a substantial deal. His strikeout rate dipped to 19.7 percent, his first time below 25 percent since 2018, while allowing his highest average exit velocity against (90.3) since pitching six games as a rookie in 2016.
A 5.01 expected ERA foreshadows some regression, but Giolito still represents an upgrade for several MLB teams. One would think the usual barrage of spring pitching injuries would create an opening somewhere for the 2019 All-Star.
Cora's comments also probably confirm the assumption that Boston won't bring back Giolito. The Red Sox moved on and restocked their rotation by acquiring Sonny Gray, Ranger Suárez and Johan Oviedo.
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