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.
Jeff Passan of ESPN was the first to report on the transaction and the pertinent contract information:
Those who watched Giolito pitch for the Angels in 2023 should not be surprised by the number of if-then scenarios in his contract with the Red Sox; it could be as short as one year or as long as three.
Of the six major league players the Angels signed in the six weeks leading up to the ultimately fruitless trade deadline, Giolito was perhaps the best. He was undoubtedly the largest at six feet six.
With 21 starts under his belt and a 3.79 ERA, Giolito and the Angels were hoping a change of scenery would help him revive his season and end the team’s nine-year postseason drought. On July 26, the Angels sent reliever Reynaldo Lopez and prospects Edgar Quero and Ky Bush to Chicago in exchange for Giolito.
Sometimes the best-laid plans don’t work out. Giolito made six starts for the Angels and finished 1-5 with a 6.89 ERA. Although few predicted the Angels to finish with the worst record in the American League (17-38) following the trade deadline, he was by no means the only reason the team did not make it to the postseason.
Due to their rapid collapse from contention, the Angels were able to use waivers to release Giolito’s salary as well as the majority of their midseason acquisitions. The Cleveland Guardians made claims to Lopez and Giolito. Giolito made six starts for the Tribe and finished 1-4 with a 7.04 ERA.
On paper, Giolito’s season finale could not have looked worse. It hurt the contract’s guaranteed length and payout structure, but not enough to stop the Red Sox (and maybe other teams) from giving him a big contract for 2024.
Giolito can max out his new contract at three years and $56 million if he pitches well in Boston. Further performance-related rewards are available to him, as Chris Cotillo of Mass Live reported:
Given Giolito’s unsatisfactory 2023 audition in Anaheim, no one would hold the Angels or Giolito responsible if they hesitated to match that offer.
For an Angels team that is still in dire need of starting pitchers, the contract terms provide a helpful framework. Left-hander Blake Snell, who MLB Trade Rumours projected to sign a seven-year, $200 million contract, has been strongly associated with the team.
The free-agent starters who are still unsigned are Jordan Montgomery, Marcus Stroman, Shota Imanaga, and former Angels prospect Mike Clevinger. If Snell signs elsewhere, the San Francisco Giants have equal need, if not equal interest.
Giolito’s Red Sox contract, if and when it becomes official, will take him off the Angels’ list of possible free agent targets. He probably wasn’t at the top of the list in the first place.
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