It turns out that the San Diego Padres do, in fact, have some money left to spend and aren’t broke because they have signed free agent pitcher Lucas Giolito. The right-hander went unsigned after a pretty solid 2025 season and then he became a target for the Chicago Cubs in April, when Cade Horton and Matthew Boyd went down with an injury. Horton is out for the year after undergoing Tommy John surgery, but Boyd is returning from the injured list against the Philadelphia Phillies this week.
Colin Rea has been nails, filling in as a starter, while Javier Assad has also been decent in his spot starts. So, maybe the Cubs weren’t all too desperate to sign Giolito because the Padres didn’t necessarily break the bank to sign him. According to Robert Murray, the Padres and Giolito agreed to a one-year deal that also includes a mutual option for the 2027 season.
Jon Heyman reported that Giolito’s base salary for this year will be at $3 million. That amount will be prorated for the duration of the season.
In 2025, Giolito returned from elbow surgery and made 26 starts for the Boston Red Sox. The right-hander eventually settled in after a rough stretch early in the season. He posted a 3.41 ERA with 121 strikeouts in 145 innings. Giolito had a great end to his year, as he had a 2.70 ERA in his final 11 starts. However, the strikeout rate was below average, and he was walking 11% of the batters he faced, so the league has obviously been skeptical of how good he can actually be based on some good fortune in 2025.
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So, the Cubs didn’t think it was worth it, and you have to wonder if it’s because they have newfound confidence in the starting rotation. Mainly, Rea stepping up, and possibly more importantly, Shōta Imanaga’s return to dominance. The left-handed starting pitcher pitched his third consecutive quality start Tuesday night, when he gave up just one run on three hits over seven innings.
After allowing four earned runs in his first start of 2026, Imanaga has recorded a 1.13 ERA in his last four games, surrendering three runs in 24 innings.
When players sign, fans are quick to assume that it was the team’s decision, and well, it’s ultimately the player’s choice. In this case, maybe Giolito was given much more of a clear pathway to join the rotation in San Diego or potentially he simply liked the destination more than the Cubs.
It does sting a little because whether Gioito’s 2025 results were a fluke or not, he has shown the ability to pitch quality innings, and right now, all he would have cost the Cubs was money. If the team were to face any more pitching injuries down the line, then they would be forced to trade prospects at the deadline for pitching depth.
However, it’s not a back-breaker either. Pitchers become available throughout the season, and the front office has been able to find hidden gems in the past.
According to Bob Nightengale, Giolito will begin his ramp-up in A-Ball, and if all goes well, the Padres hope he can make his season debut by the middle of May.
