Lucas Giolito did not have an ideal season last year.
He pitched for three separate teams, starting with the White Sox, who traded him to the Los Angeles Angels at the deadline. But after six poor starts in his hometown, they placed the right-hander on waivers, where he was claimed by the Cleveland Guardians.
There, he didn't improve. He pitched six starts in Cleveland, finishing with a rocky 7.04 ERA.
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Still, the NY Post's Jon Heyman believes Giolito will earn a lucrative deal this offseason after reporting his findings from the GM meetings in Arizona.
"Lucas Giolito is expected to be in the $50M to $80M range, even after allowing at least eight earned runs in a game three times this season — and for three different teams," Heyman wrote on Thursday.
Those are eye-popping contract numbers, especially for a starter who finished with a 4.88 ERA playing for three different teams. Either way, for the first time in his career, Giolito is a free agent, eligible for a long-term deal.
As aforementioned, the White Sox traded Giolito and Reynaldo López to the Angels in exchange for two prospects: catcher Edgar Quero and left-hander Ky Bush. Giolito pitched six starts with his hometown Angels --- terribly. He finished with a 6.89 ERA, allowing a whopping 10 home runs and 15 walks in those starts.
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What was supposed to be a solid addition heading into the postseason ended up being a major failed experiment for the Angels' club. Hence, they placed him, and López, on waivers. The Guardians saw nothing to lose, picking both Giolito and López off of waivers.
Still, Giolito didn't improve, pitching just as poorly in Cleveland as he did in Los Angeles.
Gioltio hasn't had a reputable season since 2021. He hasn't been an All-Star since 2019. He's one year away from being on the wrong side of 30 years old. But it appears teams still see value in Gioltio after an arduous rigamarole of a 2023 season.
Where will Giolito land? That's to come this offseason.