Former Red Sox pitcher named ideal arm to round out Rangers' starting rotation

The Texas Rangers are seeking to add a starting pitcher this offseason, according to DLLS Sport's Jeff Wilson.

As of now, Texas' starting rotation next year will most likely include righties Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker. Adding one more starter via free agency would give the rotation more depth while adding another veteran presence to the clubhouse.

There are plenty of available starting pitchers on the free agent market, and Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter thinks a former Boston Red Sox righty is a logical target for the Rangers.

Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter names former Red Sox righty Lucas Giolito as logical target for Rangers

Giolito, 31, would be a solid mid-rotation arm for Texas. After missing the 2024 campaign due to undergoing right elbow ulnar collateral ligament repair, Giolito made 26 starts with the Red Sox in 2025, posting a 3.41 ERA (4.17 FIP) with 121 strikeouts and 56 walks across 145 innings.

Giolito has expressed his desire to return to Boston, but given the team's recent acquisition of righty Sonny Gray, he will likely have to sign with a different team, which is good news for the Rangers.

Giolito has struggled with limiting free passes throughout his career, but he has still had many successful big-league seasons.

The Washington Nationals selected Giolito with the 16th overall pick in the 2012 MLB Draft. He pitched 21 1/3 innings with Washington in 2016 before being dealt to the Chicago White Sox along with righties Reynaldo Lopez and Dane Dunning for outfielder Adam Eaton in the 2016-17 offseason.

Giolito impressed early in his time with Chicago, sporting a 2.38 ERA across seven starts in 2017. He struggled in his first season as a full-time MLB starting pitcher, posting a 6.13 ERA in 32 starts with Chicago in 2018. He finally proved why he was a first-round pick in 2019, making the American League All-Star team and posting 5.4 bWAR and a 3.41 ERA in 26 starts. He ended up pitching in parts of seven seasons with the White Sox, posting 13.9 bWAR and a 4.20 ERA in 162 starts.

The White Sox traded Giolito and Lopez to the Los Angeles Angels on July 26, 2023. Then, the Cleveland Guardians claimed him off waivers on August 31, 2023. He had a 6.89 ERA in six starts with the Angels, and a 7.04 ERA in six starts with the Guardians.