Red Sox’s $38.5M Pitching Splash Amidst Yankees’ Ongoing Rotation Search: A Masterstroke or Overpaying for Mediocrity?

The Boston Red Sox made the biggest splurge this year by going after Lucas Giolito. In a free agency market that still has teams like the New York Yankees looking for elite starting pitchers, one of their biggest AL East rivals making such a sudden move only translates to one thing. Now that the market has thinned out, the Red Sox will probably splurge more to clinch better prospects for lower offers. Their recent draft, however, doesn’t really fit into the mold.

Considering that Giolito’s recent performance has been average at best, was it a desperate last-moment move from the BoSox? Or does it have a certain promise of transpiring into magnificence, proving to be the masterstroke of the 2023 free agency period?

A bold move from the Boston Red Sox or a blunt one?

The Boston Red Sox’s newest pitcher, Lucas Giolito, ended this season with an average ERA of 4.88, allowing 169 hits in 184.1 innings pitched. His records on the White Sox, Angels, and Guardians this year counted for 204 strikeouts in total. It makes one think about what might have brought about such frequent trades of the pitcher in the first place.

SNY believes one of the primary reasons is the decline in his form. For a pitcher who used to throw four-seam fastballs at a pace of 94+ mph, Giolito’s average throws went anywhere from 92.7 to 93.3 mph in the last two years, according to FanGraphs. What could the BoSox possibly see in him to lock him down for $38.5 million for two years, regardless of the conditions the offer comes with?

Lucas Giolito has a past that indicates a flurry of changes that few others have gone through. From being nominated for a Cy Young consecutively from 2019 to 2021 and being named a 2019 All-Star, the ace went to being in the lead in the AL for allowing 41 homers this season.

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If the Boston Red Sox plan on getting Big Foot back to his 2019–2021 era, it still might prove to be futile when they go against teams like the Yankees. The Pinstripes are already looking at the biggest pitching prospects while already having a Cy Young awardee on their mound.

The Yankees rotation search continues

The Yankees currently have Gerrit Cole to lead their pitching lineup. The rest of the pitchers in their rotations cannot really be relied on to play throughout the next season due to their various health complications. Cue their targeted prospects.

Currently, the team has their eyes set on clinching either Blake Snell or Jordan Montgomery. In case they don’t work out for the team, they have Corbin Burnes, Dylan Cease, and Luis Castillo to go after. However, considering all these players are under contract, the Bronx Bombers have to come up with a good set of prospects to trade for them.

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Shota Imanage is expected to enter the free agency market at the beginning of 2024. Should they lock him down, Imanaga’s set of experience and skills should be deemed threatening enough for the rival Boston Red Sox to rethink their pitching lineup. They better do it when they still have the time and choices available for them to pick from.