Boston Red Sox Sign Orioles Top Free-Agent Pitching Option

The Boston Red Sox signed one of the Baltimore Orioles' top free-agent pitching options.

The Boston Red Sox have signed Lucas Giolito to a two-year, $38.5 million deal, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. Giolito was regarded as one of the Baltimore Orioles' top targets this offseason. Instead of landing with the Orioles, he stays in the American League East with the Red Sox.

This is one of those situations where Baltimore needs to be smart. While they reportedly have their eyes all over Dylan Cease, they can't lose out on others in the hope of the Chicago White Sox moving him. That's the easiest way for teams to lose out on free agents during the offseason.

Giolito, 29 years old, played with the White Sox for most of his career. He was with the team until the middle of the 2023 season when he was moved to the Los Angeles Angels. The Angels waived Giolito and he signed with the Cleveland Guardians for the remainder of the season.

His numbers in Los Angeles and Cleveland were terrible. He had an ERA of 6.89 with the Angels and 7.04 with the Guardians. While those figures were way below his career averages, it might've been a concerning sign for teams this offseason.

Boston seems to believe he can get back to what he did in Chicago, which isn't the craziest of ideas. During his time there, he was an arm that can eat up 160-plus innings in most seasons and work around a 3-4.5 ERA. 

The Orioles must continue to be active in looking for a starter. It was a clear need for them in 2023 and has to be addressed before the 2024 season.