Lucas Giolito: Everything you need to know

Giolito struck out six and allowed three earned runs on five hits and one walk over 4.1 innings Thursday in his start for Single-A Lake Elsinore. After remaining unsigned until reaching a one-year deal with the Padres on April 22, Giolito reported to Lake Elsinore shortly thereafter to essentially complete his own version of spring training. He's now made two starts for Lake Elsinore, and after covering 4.1 innings and tossing 70 pitches Thursday, Giolito looks to be close to fully stretched out. Giolito hasn't been especially sharp in either outing, however, so the Padres will likely have him make one or two more starts in the minors before he slots back into the big-league rotation. San Diego will have until May 16 to add him to its active roster.

The Padres signed Giolito to a one-year contract Wednesday. He'll earn a prorated $3 million, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The deal also includes a mutual option for 2027 that could feature a sizable buyout. Giolito posted a 3.41 ERA and 121:56 K:BB over 145 regular-season innings for the Red Sox in 2025. Elbow soreness prevented Giolito from being available for the postseason, but he had a normal offseason throwing program and said earlier this month on Audacy's Baseball Isn't Boring podcast that he's been maintaining a pitch count of around 75 during live batting practice sessions. Per AJ Cassavell of MLB.com, Giolito will be assigned to Single-A Lake Elsinore, where he will knock off some rust before eventually joining the San Diego rotation.

Giolito and the Padres "is an inevitable marriage that could take shape soon," Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports. It was reported last week that the Padres and Cubs were among the teams with serious interest in Giolito, and it sounds like San Diego is leading the pack. With Nick Pivetta (forearm) and Joe Musgrove (elbow) sidelined, Giolito is a clear fit. The right-hander has been throwing on his own, noting earlier this month that he's been maintaining a pitch count of around 75 in live batting practice sessions. That said, Giolito would surely still need at least a start or two in the minors before being deemed big-league ready. The 31-year-old posted a 3.41 ERA and 121:56 K:BB over 145 regular-season innings for the Red Sox in 2025.