Red Sox Loosely Linked To Frontline Starter As Free Agency Nears
The Boston Red Sox's rotation has been a huge problem all season long and upgrades will need to be made over the course of the winter.
The free-agent class is loaded with frontline starting pitchers, one of whom already is being linked to Boston.
"Nobody will confuse (Las Angeles Angels right-hander) Lucas Giolito with a bona fide ace, but the 29-year-old has been a proven innings-eater capable of filling a club’s No. 2 or 3 spot in the rotation, and he will likely be paid accordingly," MLB.com's Mark Feinsand wrote Tuesday. "Potential fits: (St. Louis) Cardinals, (Los Angeles) Dodgers, Red Sox."
Giolito has been horrid since joining the Angels and tanked his season totals but entered trade deadline season as a premier target and will be highly coveted in free agency.
The former All-Star has a 4.35 career ERA with a 25.2% strikeout rate, 9% walk rate, .232 batting average against and 1.25 WHIP in 983 innings across 162 starts. The veteran has posted an ERA+ at or above 100 in five of his eight seasons.
The Red Sox could use a starter of Giolito's caliber to bolster a rotation full of question marks. He'll have to be far from the only addition to the pitching staff but Giolito would be a logical fit for Boston this offseason.
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