May 18, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; A Boston Red Sox hat and glove rests on the railing by the dugout prior to a game against the Atlanta Braves at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Red Sox Approaching $19 Million Crossroads

Originally posted on Boston Red Sox on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Aug 16, 2025 5:20 PM ET

The Boston Red Sox have been fortunate this season when it has come to the starting rotation.

Injuries have plagued it, for sure, but the guys that have been healthy have carried the load for Boston and arguably is the biggest reason why the club is where it is today. The Red Sox entered play on Saturday with a 67-56 record and just fives games out of first place in the American League East.

Boston has gotten stellar performances out of Garrett Crochet seemingly each week. Beyond him, Brayan Bello and Lucas Giolito have stepped up significantly. Walker Buehler has started to find it and the fifth spot now is held by Dustin May.

Of the crew, the guy who is going to be interesting to follow down the stretch is Giolito. He's on a roll right now. Giolito has a 3.63 ERA in 19 starts to go along with an 8-2 record and 87-to-34 strikeout-to-walk rato.

He has been phenomenal for Boston this season. If the Red Sox had it their way, they'd likely try to keep him for as long as possible. He's had success in Boston on the field and is a leader off of it. Any time he has an opportunity, he takes the time out to talk about how much he loves Boston.

Red Sox-Lucas Giolito partnership will be interesting to follow

"(Fenway) is like the best place to pitch … It feels very magical here," Giolito said on Friday.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora also threw some praise out there for Giolito.

"That’s the guy we envisioned, right?…He’s giving us innings. He’s going 6, 7…You look around, it’s August 15th, man. And they signed him for this, and (he’s) doing everything possible to get us into October," Cora said.

The next few weeks will be interesting to follow for Giolito. The reason for this is that in his contract there is an option that will be impacted by the way he finishes the season. If Giolito finishes the season with below 140 innings pitched, the Red Sox will have him on a $14 million club option for the 2026 season. That's a great deal.

But, if he were to go over 140 innings pitched, then that option would turn into a $19 million mutual option. Although Giolito loves Boston, it wouldn't be a shock to see the mutual option turned down because he could certainly get more with the way he has pitched.

We'll see what happens, but these next few weeks will be huge for Giolito.

This article first appeared on Boston Red Sox on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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