Lucas Giolito did not receive a qualifying offer from the Boston Red Sox, but it’s not the end of the world for the pitcher. He made it very clear that he wants to continue playing for the club, stating that Boston has been the most enjoyable stop of his career so far.
“I made it clear to you. I made it clear to everybody. I would love to come back here and continue to play for the Red Sox,” Giolito said during an episode of Baseball isn’t Boring with Rob Bradford. “It’s the most fun I have ever had having a season with a team in the big leagues.”
Giolito wasn’t surprised by the decision. With a strong regular-season record of 10-4 across 26 starts, he was already fairly certain he would not receive a qualifying offer. “I wasn’t banking on it,” said Giolito. “I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to get it.”
Giolito attributes decision to injury
It should be recalled that Giolito was injured and unable to participate in the postseason. He believes his elbow issue was the main reason he was denied the qualifying offer, noting that his experience tells him a player is unlikely to receive such an offer if they finish the season hurt.
“Because I ended the year injured,” Giolito said, explaining his point of view. “That’s how it works, man. You end of the year hurt, you’re not in a good spot to command a qualifying offer or whatever. So, yeah, moving on.”
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“Yeah. I thought it was obvious,” Giolito stated regarding his free agent situation. “I went into this offseason knowing full well I would be a free agent. You end of the year hurt, it puts a bad taste in the team’s mouth. It is what it is.”
Giolito confirms he is healthy
Giolito affirmed during the Baseball isn’t Boring episode that he is now completely recovered. “Now, the fortunate side is that it was like the most benign, weird, freak injury that went away after a few days,” he said, adding that he is preparing for offseason work, though he did not discuss offers from other teams. “So, now I’m like, great. I’m having a fully healthy, amazing offseason. That kind of stuff happens. It’s just how it goes.”
