San Francisco Giants Remain Linked to $66 Million Former Red Sox Right-Hander

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The MLB Winter Meetings are just a couple of weeks away. That’s when free agency signings could heat up. So far, former San Diego Padres right-hander Dylan Cease has agreed to a $210 million seven-year deal with the Toronto Blue Jays.

As far as the San Francisco Giants go, first-year manager Tony Vitello has Logan Webb at the top of the rotation. Veteran Robbie Ray has more questions than answers, and the Giants might be in the market for a pair of starting pitchers.

With Cease gone, the next best option is Framber Valdez of the Houston Astros. If that falls through as well, San Francisco will have to get creative, adding to its rotation. One prediction has them as a possible landing spot for a former Boston Red Sox right-hander.

Giants Listed as Potential Landing Spot for Red Sox Right-Hander

Jordan Leandre of Just Baseball listed multiple landing spots for Red Sox right-hander Lucas Giolito, and one of them was the Giants. Also list was a return to Boston, along with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Padres, and Texas Rangers.

“Keeping the right-hander in a pitcher-friendly ballpark could do wonders for keeping his homer numbers in line,” Lenarde wrote. “The Giants need more volume from their starters in 2026 to have a shot at postseason contention as it is. Despite ranking 11th in starter fWAR, they ranked 17th in innings and ERA.”

In 2025 for the Red Sox, Giolito made 26 starts, going 10-4 with a 3.41 ERA in 145 innings with a 121 to 56 strikeout to walk ratio. He had a 2.1 WAR before missing the playoffs with an elbow issue. He is expected to be cleared for spring training. Leandre predicted a 2-3 year contract with an AAV of $16-22 million.

“San Francisco may represent Giolito’s best shot at the higher end of his projected contract. Typically, an organization that comes up short in free agency, the Giants might have to overpay to snag the veteran right-hander,” Leandre wrote.

Lucas Giolito Would Be a Low-Risk, High-Reward Addition for the Giants

Giolito’s absence in the American League Wild Card Series against the New York Yankees was a big loss for the Red Sox, who fell in three games. He was a steady piece of Alex Cora’s rotation in 2025 in a prove-it season after missing 2024 with an injury.

The 31-year-old made $20.5 million with Boston, and they are unlikely to retain him in free agency. He declined his mutual option. He has been linked to several teams since he opted out and Boston declined to give him a qualifying offer, making him a free agent.

San Francisco has missed out on some of the top free-agent arms in years past. Giolito would not be considered one of the bigger arms on the market this winter, but he would be a good low-risk, high-reward option in the Bay Area.

The Giants know that they need to make some upgrades to compete with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who could be in the market for big moves after winning another World Series. Giolito is a veteran pitcher who could add more than some think in 2026 and beyond if he remains healthy.

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