Aug 26, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito (54) delivers a pitch during the second inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: James A. Pittman-Imagn Images James A. Pittman-Imagn Images

Lucas Giolito Free Agent Saga May Be Ending Soon

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Apr 14, 2026 10:31 PM ET

The 2026 Major League Baseball season is a few weeks old and typically at this point in the season, you don't hear much about free agency.

That's because teams had months to make moves and the season has been going on for just over two weeks. Teams know what they have, and who is out there available in free agency. If you see moves around the league at this time of the year, it's typically because of injuries. Injuries are a tough part of the game that you're always going to see. This season has been no different. There are a handful of teams out there dealing with injuries to their starting rotation, including the Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros, San Diego Padres, Atlanta Braves and the Toronto Blue Jays, to name a few.

We're also at a point in the year in which you don't typically see many big-name players available in free agency. That's part of the reason why the free agent chatter dies down as Spring Training approaches. But there is one guy out there who is the clear No. 1 free agent available and that is former All-Star Lucas Giolito.

Lucas Giolito should be on a team

Giolito had a 3.41 ERA in 26 starts for the Boston Red Sox last year. That production should have gotten him a job by now. But, he's out there for the taking for a team willing to roll the dice on a former All-Star coming off a good season. Again, he should be on a team right now. It's shocking that his market has lasted this long. There have been so many injuries around the league. Plus, there are plenty of starters around the league that he is better or more accomplished than. On Tuesday, though, there was finally a bit of a break in his market. The Athletic's Patrick Mooney, Ken Rosenthal, Dennis Lin and Sahadev Sharma reported that the San Diego Padres and Chicago Cubs are interested in Giolito.

"With pitching injuries mounting across Major League Baseball, the Chicago Cubs and the San Diego Padres are eyeing right-hander Lucas Giolito, league sources told The Athletic on Tuesday, monitoring the situation involving a one-time All-Star who remains a free agent in the middle of April," Mooney, Rosenthal, Lin and Sharma wrote.

This is the first time in a while that there has been a concrete update on Giolito's market and it's a positive one. Now, it's unclear at this point which of the two is more interested or even if a deal will get done. But these are some of the top insiders in the game right now saying the Padres and Cubs have some sort of interest.

He would help either. Again, this is a guy who had a 3.41 ERA last year and was the No. 3 starter for a team that earned a playoff spot. He should be on a team. Fortunately, it sounds like the weirdest market in baseball right now could come to a close soon.

This article first appeared on Fastball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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