Giolito signs with Padres

Lucas Giolito and the San Diego Padres agreed to a one-year deal Wednesday, giving San Diego a veteran starter four weeks into the 2026 season. (sports.yahoo.com) The contract guarantees just under $2.8 million and includes a mutual option for 2027, according to ESPN and MLB.com. Giolito had remained unsigned through the first month of the season before the Padres moved now. (espn.com) (mlb.com) San Diego made the deal while tied for the best record in baseball, but its rotation had thinned out behind early injuries and roster churn, MLB.com reported from Denver. The move gives the Padres another experienced arm without a long-term commitment. (mlb.com) Giolito is not a plug-in starter for April. Yahoo reported that he had elbow pain before the season, underwent season-ending surgery, and signed as a rehab and depth addition rather than an immediate fix. (sports.yahoo.com) That makes the timing of the contract the key detail. San Diego is effectively buying a chance that Giolito can help later, while adding a 31-year-old with a long major league track record to its 40-man mix. (baseball-reference.com) (sports.yahoo.com) Giolito spent 2025 with the Boston Red Sox and went 10-4 with a 3.41 earned run average in 26 starts, according to ESPN’s stats page. That rebound followed a turbulent 2023 season in which he pitched for the Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels, and Cleveland Guardians. (espn.com) His career has swung between top-of-the-rotation stretches and sharp downturns. Baseball-Reference lists him as a 2019 All-Star, and he threw a no-hitter for the White Sox on Aug. 25, 2020. (baseball-reference.com) The Padres announced the signing Wednesday, and Baseball-Reference now lists Giolito on San Diego’s 40-man roster in the minors. For a club that wanted rotation insurance, the bet is on what Giolito might be able to provide later in 2026, not what he can give them this week. (sports.yahoo.com) (baseball-reference.com)