The 2025 MLB campaign is almost here and it's shaping up to be a crucial year for a lot of clubs, including the Boston Red Sox. After all, the pressure is on manager Alex Cora & Co. now that the Red Sox's playoffs drought extended to three straight years last season, leaving time to tell if they'll have what it takes to be playing meaningful baseball after the All-Star break.
Even though the upcoming season is big for the Red Sox as a whole, it's also a make-or-break year for certain individuals — including one veteran pitcher whose future with the franchise is up in the air.
Lucas Giolito's Red Sox Future is Hanging by a Thread Before Opening Day
Veteran right-handed pitcher Lucas Giolito's future with the Red Sox will depend on how his 2025 performance goes. Fans are eager to see what the 30-year-old hurler can do on the mound after injuries have prevented him from playing a single regular-season game with Boston despite signing with the club back in January 2024.
Nevertheless, Red Sox fans entered spring training feeling optimistic that Giolito would finally be healthy enough to prove his worth. The former All-Star righty is among baseball's best pitchers when he isn't injured, proven by his four double-digit-win campaigns and the fact that he finished 11th or better in AL Cy Young award voting three times since 2019.
Unfortunately, Giolito's spring training run was par for the course in comparison to his Red Sox tenure thus far. The Santa Monica, CA native's exhibition debut lasted one inning before he left with a hamstring injury, resulting in his beginning the new MLB season on the 15-day injured list.
Giolito has since come out to disagree with his injury placement, making it clear that he and the Red Sox aren't close to being on the same page.
In other words, Giolito can't afford to mess up whenever he's healthy enough to return to the mound. He's currently on the books for $19 million in 2025, meaning he'll likely have to turn back the clock to his 2021 form (11-9, 3.53 ERA with 201 strikeouts in 31 starts) to be worth that price.
If Giolito struggles with health or fails to look like a legitimate MLB starter, chances are his time in Boston won't last long. The Red Sox likely won't pick up his $14 million team option for the 2026 season if he doesn't show immediate improvements, or they could look to move him before July's trade deadline if they don't want to wait until the offseason to cut ties.
Once a reliable starting arm, Giolito must prove that he's still capable of that reputation. Whether or not he lasts in Boston beyond this season, the Red Sox will be better off if he returns to form and contributes to a winning brand of baseball.