The San Diego Padres addressed their rotation needs about as quickly as the Friar Faithful could hope for.
The Padres announced this morning that they have signed right-hander Lucas Giolito to a one-year contract with a mutual option for 2027. In a corresponding move, Bryan Hoeing was moved from the 40-man roster to the 60-day IL.
One start seems to have been enough for knuckleballer Matt Waldron, who will likely be replaced by the now-signed Giolito. The move is great for the Friars, and it’s perfect
timing.
With Nick Pivetta indefinitely confined to the injured list, and Griffin Canning and Joe Musgrove still somewhat far off, Giolito is a perfect filler for the Padres.
Best case scenario, he breaks out and puts up an even better year than his 3.41 ERA mark from 2025. That mark tied his career-best (2019) when pitching 20-plus starts in a season. Giolito’s biggest strength for the Padres is that he can eat innings. He’s a truly solid starter who can keep San Diego in games.
The amount of his contract hasn’t been announced yet, and that will determine how beneficial this deal is for the Friars. San Diego general manager A.J. Preller has been known to overpay in the past — and starting pitching is at a premium — but the details of the contract are likely to be made public soon.
