Red Sox reportedly "remain engaged" on free agent starter Lucas Giolito

BOSTON -- The Red Sox missed out on the biggest arm available in free agency when Yoshinobu Yamamoto signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. In need of a few starters to bolster its rotation, it looks like the Boston brass is now looking toward reclamation projects.

MassLive's Chris Cotillo reported Tuesday that the Red Sox have had "consistent communication" with lefty James Paxton about a potential return to Boston, though it's not a certainty that the two sides come to an agreement. Paxton, 34, was 7-5 with a 4.50 ERA over 19 starts for the Red Sox last season.

Cotillo also reported that the Red Sox "remain engaged" on Lucas Giolito, though many clubs are interested in bringing in the 29-year-old righty this winter.

Giolito would fit the bill as a reclamation project after his up-and-down season in 2023. He pitched well for the Chicago White Sox but then struggled for two different teams after the trade deadline, first for the Los Angeles Angels (going 1-5 with a 6.89 ERA over six starts) and then for the Cleveland Guardians after was claimed off waivers (1-4 with a 7.04 ERA over six starts). 

Overall, Giolito went 8-15 with a 4.88 ERA over 184.1 innings. He led the American League by giving up 41 homers last season, and was taken deep 21 times over his final 12 starts.

But he's an interesting target for chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, as Giolito is a certified innings eater. He made at least 30 starts in each of the last three seasons, averaging 175 innings over that stretch. Given that the Red Sox were relying on two openers for a large stretch of the 2023 season, they could use someone like Giolito every fifth day.

Gioltio's best season came in 2019 when he made his lone All-Star team and finished the year 14-9 with a 3.41 ERA over 29 starts. He went the distance three times that season and logged a pair of shutouts, fanning 228 batters over his 176.2 innings of work. He held opponents to a .205 batting average that season.

But while he's gobbled up innings over the last three seasons, the results haven't been the same for Giolito. He's just 30-33 with a 4.43 ERA since 2021, and the end to last season raises plenty of concerns.

The Red Sox need to make a splash in their rotation this winter, and they need to supplement that splash with someone who can consistently take their turn in the rotation and eat innings. Giolito could fill the latter role, but there would still be a lot of work left for Breslow and company.