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

Yankees Could Go After Red Sox Free Agent Starter

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Erin Shapland | Last updated Nov 15, 2025 4:00 PM ET

The New York Yankees will have one of the strongest pitching rotations in the MLB come spring — at least once all their pieces are healthy. In the meantime, they're reportedly interested in shopping for one more starter, and they may have their sights set on a Boston Red Sox free agent. Fans are less excited by the possibility.

Lucas Giolito, a 31-year-old, 6-foot-6 right hander who posted a 3.41 ERA in 2025, did not receive a qualifying offer from the Red Sox, and the Yankees might pick him up for depth. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Yankees "like" Giolito.

Writing for the Athletic, Jen McCaffrey speculated about why the Red Sox did not extend a qualifying offer to Giolito. It's obviously not a good sign.

"From the Red Sox perspective, not giving Giolito the offer raises a few questions," McCaffrey wrote. "It’s possible the club felt Giolito had not bounced back well enough from the elbow soreness at the end of the season. It’s also possible that the Red Sox felt $22.05 million for Giolito was too high a salary given the chance he may have accepted the deal. A team source declined to offer details on why there was no offer."

Giolito is Probably a Bad Fit

Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images

Some fans describe the interest in Giolito as "dumpster diving", and accuse the Yankees of doing this frequently. The Yankees' rotation, while extremely talented and thoroughly proven, is getting older. Rodon and Cole are both coming off surgeries, and they are 32 and 35 respectively. The Yankees may want to shop for someone a little younger to round out their older and younger arms, with 24-year-old Cam Schlittler on the rise.

It never hurts to pick off talent from a main rival, and Giolito would serve at least that purpose for the Yankees. Taken in combination with Schlittler, the team could boast a rotation purely designed to make Boston angry. It's good for the plot, but it's bad for the game. If they can, they should chase 27-year-old Tatsuya Imai to make the springtime wait bearable.

Giolito has previously played for the Washington Nationals, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels and Cleveland Guardians over an MLB career that began in 2016. Giolito was an All-Star in 2019, but has been underwhelming for some time. His 3.41 ERA in 2025 is tied for his second best-ever regular season ERA; he had a 3.41 in 2019 (his All Star season) and a 2.38 in 2017.

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