BOSTON — That Lucas Giolito gained some certainty about his future Wednesday mattered little to him in the aftermath of what he called a “trash” performance in a comeback win for the Red Sox at Fenway Park.
By completing four innings in Boston’s 5-4, walk-off victory, Giolito went over the 140-inning mark and converted a club option for next season into a mutual option, effectively guaranteeing that he will hit free agency. A potential financial windfall for a pitcher who has had a nice bounceback year in 2025 was the last thing on Giolito’s mind after a start in which he walked five batters, allowed five hits and was charged with four Athletics runs in 4 ⅓ innings. It was his shortest outing since July 23.
“I don’t care,” Giolito said when asked about his contract status. “I’m disappointed in my performance tonight. This could have been a much easier win than it had to be. I’ve taken the approach to not try to think about that kind of stuff and really just focus on taking the ball and giving the team a chance to win. I didn’t do that tonight, but I look forward to my next opportunity.
“I was trash,” he added. “I just didn’t have it.”
When the Red Sox signed Giolito to a two-year, $38.5 million deal that included a player option for 2025, the club included a contingency plan predicated on providing some protection should Giolito suffer a major injury. That happened when he had elbow surgery that ended his 2024 campaign before it started and opted in to the second year of the deal. Entering 2025, Giolito’s workload would be what determined his status for 2026.
If Giolito did not hit the 140-inning mark this year — a possibility made more real by a hamstring strain that delayed the start of his season to April 30 — the Red Sox would have retained a reasonable, $14 million option over him for 2026. By hitting 140 innings, he instead has a $19 mutual option, a clause that is very rarely ever exercised. Barring a late contract extension or some other unforeseen development, Boston will pay Giolito a $1.5 million buyout as he enters the open market after a strong, healthy season at age 31.
There’s mutual interest between the Red Sox and Giolito in a reunion for next season as Boston looks to add some certainty to a rotation group that will project to be led by Garrett Crochet and Brayan Bello with righties Kutter Crawford, Hunter Dobbins and Richard Fitts potentially factoring in, as well as lefties Payton Tolle, Connelly Early, Kyle Harrison and Patrick Sandoval. Giolito, who owns a 10-4 record and 3.46 ERA through his first 25 starts of the year, has been more than an innings-eater for the Red Sox, helping stabilize the group between Crochet, an All-Star, and Bello, who has had a breakout year.
“We needed guys that can eat innings,” said manager Alex Cora. “Obviously, it’s not about just pitching five innings and giving it up. It’s about performing. He has been solid. Really good. It seems like he always gives us a chance to win.”
In different circumstances, the Red Sox could have limited Giolito’s innings down the stretch so that he’d stay under 140 frames and therefore be under team control for another year. In mid-August, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow vowed that the club would do right by the player. In the end, with the rotation decimated by injuries at the end of a pennant race, Boston has had no choice but to let Giolito pitch as much as he can.
“I actually think it’s pretty simple,” Breslow said in August. “All of the decisions that we’re going to make are going to be driven by what gives us the best chance of winning games, getting into the postseason and making a deep postseason run.
“There are a handful of times when you think about the contract. One is when you give it out. Another when he got hurt two springs ago. Since then, it’s just the kind of thing where he’s going out and pitching deep into games. That’s good. Ultimately, we want to give ourselves the best chance we can of winning games. That’s the only thing on the mind right now.”
Giolito is expected to make one or two more starts before the end of the season, first pitching Tuesday night to start a series in Toronto. He hopes he’ll be able to put his most recent outing behind him and get back to dominating like he has for stretches this summer.
“It’s impossible,” he said. “You can’t walk five. It’s not acceptable. But I’m glad everyone else picked me up tonight. It was a much-needed win.”
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
