Matt Johnson
Lucas Giolito entered the offseason as one of the better starting pitchers available in MLB free agency outside of the high-cost arms. He remains a free agent nearly a month into the 2026 season, but that could change soon.
MLB insider Robert Murray wrote for Fansided that he believes the San Diego Padres stand out as the best fit for Giolito. San Diego is also one of the two clubs that was recently linked to the veteran hurler.
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San Diego is currently working with a bit of a patchwork rotation. German Marquez and Walker Buehler have been thrust into roles as back-end starters, with both veterans tasked with even more pressure to carry innings now that Nick Pivetta has joined Joe Musgrove on the injured list.
Unfortunately for San Diego, the return timeline for neither Pivetta nor Musgrove is promising. Pivetta, who started on Opening Day, was diagnosed with a flexor strain that will prevent him from throwing for at least a month. There’s no timetable for his return and he may not pitch again in 2026.
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Musgrove, who missed all of last season recovering from Tommy John surgery, initially seemed like he could rejoin the Padres rotation in late May. However, the club reported he was in “a bit of a holding pattern” in early March and a month later he still hasn’t thrown off a mound.
Giolito, who pitched 145 innings last season for the Boston Red Sox, recently said that he’s built up his pitch count thus far to 75 pitches. However, given the poor track record of starting pitchers who sign this late into the season, even signing him would be a risk for San Diego.
