While the Detroit Tigers kick the tires on free-agent pitchers, they seem likely to hold on to star Tarik Skubal for the 2026 season. But acquiring pitching depth is one last-minute signing the Tigers must make before spring training.
The Tigers have Tarik Skubal, John Flaherty, and Casey Mize as rotation anchors. And Reese Olson adds to the mix along with Troy Melton.
Detroit lost an avalanche of games down the stretch in 2025 and finished second in the AL Central with a record of 87-75. Pitching woes didn’t help as they gave up five or more runs nine times in a 12-game stretch in September.
But one pitcher who could perhaps settle into the No. 4 role is Lucas Giolito.
Former Red Sox P Lucas Giolito could help the Tigers
He missed the 2024 season with an arm injury, but the Red Sox took a chance on him to help their rotation last year. It worked better than they could have expected.
In 26 starts, Giolito went 10-4 with a 3.41 ERA. He pitched 145 innings with 121 strikeouts and 56 walks. Also, his 2.1 WAR was his best since 2023.
The problem for a team signing Giolito this year is the remaining health concerns. He missed Boston’s American League Wild Card Series against the New York Yankees with an elbow injury. The good news is that Giolito is expected to be ready for spring training.
That will bring his salary down, and he could prove to be a low-risk, high-reward option for a team like the Tigers. They are t in the Framber Valdez or Zac Gallen sweepstakes.
The Tigers need another top-level arm in their rotation. They have to provide support to go with Skubal if they want to make a postseason run. This could be a needed boost to win the American League Central. They have to do something to erase the bitterness of last year’s second-half collapse.
Giolito isn’t that guy, but he can still be a guy. And that matters in today’s MLB.
Also, Giolito is familiar with the AL Central. He had some good times with the Chicago White Sox. And signing with the Tigers would give him a chance to pitch for a contender.
Where could P Lucas Giolito land?
One place that seems reasonable is Washington, according to bleacherreport.com. The Nationals originally drafted Giolito. But there are questions about his viability.
“There hasn't been a lot of reported interest in Lucas Giolito this winter, which would be surprising if his 3.41 ERA from last year wasn't such an obvious mirage,” Zachary D. Ryder wrote. “Giolito really didn't fool many batters in 2025, as his strikeout rate and contact quality metrics were firmly below average. His expected ERA was 5.06, putting him roughly in Chris Paddack territory.”
The answer with the Nationals likely lands in the salary arena.
“If he's in, say, the $15-20 million range, it's hard to imagine the Nationals going that far just for a future trade chip,” Rymer wrote. “But if he's more in the $10-15 million range, that's at least a ‘maybe.’ “
Of course, the Red Sox aren’t completely out of the picture to re-sign Giolito. And he hasn’t closed that door, according to masslive.com.
“I loved it there, and I would have loved to go back,” Giolito told WEEI’s Rob Bradford on the “Baseball Isn’t Boring” podcast. “I still would, but if you look at the writing on the wall, I don’t think they need another starting pitcher. That’s business, baby. That’s how it goes.”
Also, the Braves would potentially sign up for Giolito’s 2025 numbers as a No. 4 starter.
Giolito built most of his goodwill from 2019-21. In each of those seasons, he was in the running for the AL Cy Young award. His best year was 2019, when he struck out 228 batters in 176.2 innings.
But those days are long gone. Giolito has a career record of 71-66. He's servicable and could help a team like the Tigers. But you get what you pay for in this guy. Still, every team needs end-of-rotation arms. Innings matter.
