The Boston Red Sox’s fleeting 2025 playoff run, which ended quickly against the arch-rival New York Yankees in the Wild Card Series, has been amplified by the frustrating revelation from pitcher Lucas Giolito regarding the severity and duration of his injury.
Giolito, who was slated to be the team’s reliable No. 2 starter behind Garrett Crochet, was sidelined from the crucial series due to elbow discomfort. His subsequent comments have left Red Sox Nation with a bitter “what if” scenario.
The Giolito Revelation
Appearing on the “Baseball Isn’t Boring” podcast, Giolito delivered the gut-punching news about the injury that kept him off the postseason roster:
“Within three days, my elbow felt 100% fine again… There’s no injury, or whatever injury there was is gone. It was like a weird, freak thing that just popped up at the worst possible time, not only for the Red Sox, myself, just in general, the worst possible time.”
The Playoff Implications
Giolito’s absence forced Manager Alex Cora to turn to rookie Connelly Early for a potential Game 3 start, a daunting task for a pitcher with only four big-league starts under his belt. While Early pitched admirably in the Wild Card Series, the thought of losing a veteran, battle-tested arm like Giolito—who posted a stellar 3.41 ERA over 145.0 innings in the regular season—for a momentary twinge is a true blow of misfortune.
Key Context:
Injury Timing: Giolito began feeling discomfort around his September 17th start. The team revealed he was dealing with flexor irritation and a bone issue, but crucially, no structural damage to his UCL (he had undergone internal brace surgery in 2024).
The Replacement: Rookie lefty Connelly Early was tapped to fill the void, having posted a 2.33 ERA in his first four career starts.
The Mutual Option: Giolito (10-4, 3.41 ERA in 26 starts) had triggered a clause making his 2026 option a $19 million mutual option (from a $14 million club option) by reaching the 140-inning threshold.
Free Agency and the Offseason Dilemma
In the wake of the injury and Giolito’s status as an unrestricted free agent, the Red Sox made the strategic move to not extend him a Qualifying Offer (QO), which would have been worth an estimated $22.025 million for 2026. This decision frees Giolito to seek a multi-year deal elsewhere without draft pick compensation attached to him.
The fact that his elbow concern appears resolved—he is reportedly “100% healthy” and on a regular throwing program—means Giolito will likely command significant attention on the open market, while the Red Sox are left wondering if a single three-day blip cost them their best chance to advance in October.
The Red Sox opted not to give Lucas Giolito a Qualifying Offer, signaling a push for new pitching talent. Considering Giolito is now healthy and an unrestricted free agent, what specific type of contract (years and approximate value) might the Red Sox now use to try and lure Giolito back to Boston, versus letting him walk?
