Lucas Giolito Frontrunner Emerging as Season Approaches

There is still one notable name on the free agent market. Right-handed starter Lucas Giolito is still, inexplicably, out there. But a new development in a spring training camp on Monday has elevated the Atlanta Braves to frontrunner status.

The team has had to place Spencer Strider on the IL with a strained oblique. And that's to go along with their other pitching injuries from this spring, including elbow injuries to Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep.

The calls are becoming louder and louder for the Braves to sign Giolito.

Braves absolutely need to sign Lucas Giolito now. Spencer Strider is the latest loss, hitting the IL with an oblique. Other recent hits: (Schwellenbach, Waldrep, Wentz, Profar). And since they are owned by a public company, we know they make a huge profit.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) March 23, 2026

Heyman has been urging Atlanta to sign Giolito for weeks.

There are some red flags, however, which we presume have prevented the nine-year veteran from landing a deal so far.

He suffered a late-season elbow injury last year after missing all of 2024 following an internal brace procedure of his own. He wasn't available for the Red Sox in the playoffs. Additionally, his fastball velocity dropped before he went out in September, raising concerns about his durability and effectiveness.

But overall, Giolito performed pretty well in his return to the mound in 2025 with Boston, with a 3.41 ERA and a 10-4 record. He also has a couple of Top 10 Cy Young finishes on his resume.

But the calls for the Braves—or someone—to sign Giolito are getting louder and louder as Opening Day approaches this week.

Braves likely rotation to start the season:
Chris Sale
Reynaldo Lopez (FB averaged 89.4 mph yesterday)
Grant Holmes (MRI showed UCL tear in August)
Bryce Elder (5.30 ERA in 2025)
Jose Suarez (More teams (2) than starts (1) since start of 2025)
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) March 23, 2026