BOSTON -- While Lucas Giolito technically became a free agent earlier this week when the big righty and the Red Sox agreed not to exercise a $19 million mutual option, there is a path for the sides to reunite for another season, though not necessarily a likely one. The Red Sox have until Thursday at 5 p.m. ET to extend a $22.025 million qualifying offer to Giolito, who made a nice bounceback from right UCL surgery in 2025, going 10-4 with a 3.41 ERA in 145 innings. The innings wound up being an important component. Once Giolito reached 140 innings, his $14 million club option -- which the Red Sox likely would have picked up -- turned into the mutual option at $5 million more. Although mutual options are rarely ever agreed upon between the player and club, qualifying offers being accepted also isn’t common. Since the qualifying offer was implemented in 2012, 144 players have received the one-year contract offer from their teams, including 13 players following the 2024 season. But only 14 players have accepted the offer. Nick Martinez became the latest to do so, returning to the Reds for 2025. Many times when a club tags a qualifying offer on a player, it is simply to make sure the team gets Draft compensation when said player signs with another team. |
It can be a slippery slope, however. If the Sox really don’t want to allocate $22.025 million to Giolito, they run the risk of doing so if he accepts the QO. Here is a look at the situation from both sides. Why might the Sox extend Giolito a QO? First, for the aforementioned carrot of Draft compensation. Another reason is that it would be a short-term deal with a pitcher who quickly emerged as one of the leaders of the pitching staff last year. Although Giolito took some lumps in his first seven starts back from surgery (6.42 ERA), he hit his stride the rest of the way, going 9-3 with a 2.51 ERA in 19 starts. As the Sox found out first-hand in 2025, rotation depth can take a beating in a hurry. What Boston thought was a strength of the team was depleted by the time the playoffs opened, and September callup Connelly Early was called on to start the decisive Game 3 of the American League Wild Card Series at Yankee Stadium. Why might Giolito be the rare player to accept the QO? If Giolito gets a qualifying offer, he has until Nov. 18 to decide whether to accept it. That gives him a couple of weeks to gauge what his value is on the open market. |
Given that the qualifying offer is $8 million more than Giolito’s original club option and $3 million more than the mutual option, he would still come out a winner in terms of short-term AAV. In addition, Giolito had an irritated flexor tendon that kept him off of Boston’s Wild Card Series roster. Though it wasn’t a major injury, the Red Sox don’t believe he would have been able to contribute in October, even if the club had advanced. It’s at least possible that setback could dampen Giolito’s market to some degree, which could make him more compelled to accept the QO. There’s also this: Giolito has really enjoyed his time in Boston, speaking openly about how much he loves pitching at Fenway and the tight bond he has formed with his teammates. Another strong year in Boston could give him a chance to reset his market value. One more path to a reunion Whether or not the Sox extend Giolito a qualifying offer, and regardless of if he accepts or declines, there’s also the chance the sides could agree on a multiyear deal. The Red Sox could have an advantage against other clubs if they extend a qualifying offer first, because other teams might be less reluctant to make a push for Giolito knowing that it entails Draft compensation. And even if they don’t extend the QO, the Sox know what kind of competitor and teammate Giolito is after seeing him up close. |
MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
Less than 24 hours after a classic World Series ended with the Dodgers beating the Blue Jays in Game 7, awards season kicked off with the announcement of the Gold Glove winners on Sunday night. For the first time since 2018, the Sox had multiple winners. Wilyer Abreu went back to back in right field, meaning he is 2-for-2 on winning Gold Gloves to start his career. Center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela took home his first Gold Glove in his second season. On Monday, finalists were announced in each league for the four major BBWAA awards. Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet joins favorite Tarik Skubal and Astros righty Hunter Brown as AL finalists for the Cy Young. • Crochet (Cy Young), Anthony (ROY) finalists for major AL awards Roman Anthony, who didn’t start his season until he was called up on June 9 and had it end less than three months later because of a left oblique injury, had such an impressive 71-game debut that he is one of three finalists for AL Rookie of the Year. He is joined by two finalists from the Athletics in Nick Kurtz and Jacob Young. The Rookie of the Year winners will be announced on Nov. 10, followed two days later by Cy Young. |
ROCKET BACK ON BALLOT, BUT NO DEWEY |
When the Hall of Fame announced its eight-player Contemporary Baseball Era Committee Ballot, there was a mixed bag of emotions for Red Sox followers. Roger Clemens, who won three of his record-setting seven Cy Young Awards in a Boston uniform, is on the ballot. However, right fielder Dwight Evans, one of the finest all-around players in club history, was not. An eight-time Gold Glove Award Winner, Evans was one of MLB’s best offensive players in the 1980s. He was also an on-base machine at a time that trait wasn’t valued the way it is in this era. It is certainly an impressive ballot, which also includes Barry Bonds, Carlos Delgado, Jeff Kent, Don Mattingly, Dale Murphy, Gary Sheffield and Fernando Valenzuela. Candidates must receive 75 percent of the votes from the 16-person committee. Results will be announced on Dec. 7 at Baseball’s Winter Meetings in Orlando, Fla. |
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