BREAKING: San Diego Padres sign RHP Lucas Giolito to $3 million deal
Credit: Mass Live
The San Diego Padres rotation received a reinforcement today with the signing of veteran free agent starter Lucas Giolito to a one-year deal with a mutual option for 2027, worth roughly $3 million.
The Padres announced the move on Wednesday.
Giolito will get stretched out at Lake Elsinore and must be added to the MLB team within 25 days of his signing. To make room for him, the Padres have transferred RHP Bryan Hoeing to the 60-day IL.
San Diego's beleaguered rotation gets a boost with the signing of Lucas Giolito to a one-year contract. The deal includes a mutual option, but mutual options literally never get picked up, so Giolito will join the Padres and hit free agency again after the end of the season.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) April 22, 2026
The former 2012 first-round pick and high school teammate of Max Fried, Giolito spent six years with the Chicago White Sox before being released after a substandard 2023, bouncing between the White Sox, Angels & Guardians.
He was injured all of 2024 before experiencing a renaissance year with the Red Sox in 2025, posting a 10-4 record with a 3.41 ERA and 121 strikeouts. The right-hander was considered a highly sought-after free agent even though he remained unsigned throughout the offseason and spring training. The Padres were always considered a strong possibility for him, but that mutual interest increased dramatically due to injury issues.
The Padres’ rotation has seen some big positives in the resurgence of Walker Buehler, the continued development of Randy Vasquez, the steady improvement of Michael King, and the potential upside of Griffin Canning’s starts in the minors.
However, the team has also seen last year’s ace, Nick Pivetta, go down with a right elbow flexor strain, which will keep him out for over a month in 2026, and Joe Musgrove’s slow recovery from Tommy John surgery. Giolito will provide some additional stability, innings, and leadership to the rotation and provide the team with another legitimate starter while the Padres wait for either of their other two top pitchers to return.
A Native San Diegan, Loren has spent his entire life not only as a fan but an active participant in San Diego’s sports world. In 2006 Loren joined two other die hard Charger fans to create Bolttalk, where Loren was a co-host and regular columnist from 2006 until the Chargers left in 2017. After that he started another podcast, The Grid Podshow, from 2020-2021 with his former co-host and colleague, speaking about the local sports community and popular culture.
When he’s not giving his opinion about San Diego sports, Loren is an adjunct professor at San Diego State and an attorney.