The Angels still don’t have a number-1 starter lined up to replace Shohei Ohtani for 2024 and beyond. Free agent Lucas Giolito was never going to fit that bill.
Still, it was worth noting what Giolito was able to land in his first foray into free agency following a turbulent 2023 season that included a brief stop in Anaheim. Friday, the Boston Red Sox ended the suspense and reportedly agreed to sign 29-year-old right-hander.
The number of if-then scenarios involved in Giolito’s contract with the Red Sox — it could be as short as one year or as long as three — should come as little surprise to anyone who watched him pitch for the Angels in 2023.
Giolito was arguably the best of the six major league players the Angels acquired in a six-week run-up to the trade deadline that ultimately proved futile. At 6-foot-6, he was certainly the biggest.
After going 6-6 with a 3.79 ERA in 21 starts with the Chicago White Sox, Giolito and the Angels were hoping a change of scenery could revitalize his season — and help the team break its 9-year postseason drought. The Angels traded prospects Edgar Quero and Ky Bush to Chicago in exchange for Giolito and reliever Reynaldo Lopez on July 26.
