The Philadelphia Phillies have been in the market for a starting pitcher this offseason, and that pursuit intensified after they lost Ranger Suárez in free agency to the Boston Red Sox.
The Phillies may have a chance to poach a Red Sox player right back. Lucas Giolito, who spent the last two seasons in Boston, hit the open market after the 2025 season and remains on the market as of mid-February.
According to MLB reporter Julian Scott, the four teams currently bidding for Giolito are the Phillies, Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres and New York Mets. Philly and New York have been in contact with Giolito since the Winter Meetings back in December, though Atlanta is making a hard push in February, according to Scott.
All four teams in contention for Giolito are World Series hopefuls, and with the starting pitcher market almost completely tapped, Giolito remains one of the best options on the board.
Phillies Pursuing Giolito to Solidify Rotation
After missing the entirety of the 2024 season with Boston as he recovered from an internal brace repair on his UCL, Giolito enjoyed a strong bounce back year with the Sox in 2025. The 31-year-old finished his season with a record of 10-4, a 3.41 ERA and 121 strikeouts in 145 innings pitched.
A crafty veteran arm, Giolito no longer has top of the rotation potential, but he proved in 2025 that he can be a very serviceable 3-5 guy on a good team. Giolito relies heavily on a fastball-changeup-slider approach; 97 percent of his pitched in 2025 were those three, with a curveball used sparingly.
With Ranger Suárez gone and Zach Wheeler out to start the season after undergoing thoracic outlet decompression surgery on Sept. 23, 2025, Philadelphia could use the help of a veteran arm like Giolito. Cristopher Sanchez and Jesus Luzardo are the two studs remaining in the rotation, while Aaron Nola and Taijuan Walker are both looking to bounce back after rough 2025 seasons.
Giolito would give the Phillies rotation some much needed depth, especially if Wheeler misses more time than expected. And even after he comes back, Giolito would still be a great No. 4 or No. 5 option for Philly.
Giolito’s Market Value and Phillies Cap Space
As we all know, the MLB doesn’t have a salary cap and the punishments for exceeding the luxury tax are no more than slaps on the wrists for the billionaire owners. With that being said, the Phillies have one of the highest payrolls in baseball at $311 million, the fourth highest in the league. Assuming they’re willing to continue to incur punishments from the league, Giolito’s projected contract should be nothing more than a drop in the pail.
At 31-years-old and multiple major surgeries in his past, Giolito is looking for a longer term deal, as it will likely be one of his last chances to get paid the big-bucks in his MLB career. This is probably why he’s still on the market in February.
According to Spotrac, Giolito’s market value is three years at $20.4 million per season. My guess is that is exactly the number and length he’s asking teams for, considering his strong 2025 season. I wouldn’t blame any team for balking at an asking price like that, seeing as Giolito’s ceiling is likely no higher than he showed in 2025.
But his floor is also very high, and if Philly really wants to add some depth, there’s a strong case to be made that this would be a perfect marriage.`
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