Chicago Cubs’ rumored pitching target, Lucas Giolito, signs with the San Diego Padres

When the Chicago Cubs’ 24-year-old emerging ace Cade Horton went down with an elbow injury requiring season-ending elbow surgery, fans took it like a gut punch. And then when Opening Day starter Matthew Boyd was put on the IL with a left biceps strain, they went into full-on panic mode.

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Losing your—arguably—best two pitchers looked like a death sentence for a team with deep postseason aspirations, especially with lefty ace Justin Steele still about two months away from coming back from his own elbow surgery last year.

Most everyone’s first reaction seemed to be to look outside the Cubs organization for a quick-fix rotation replacement and Lucas Giolito looked like the ideal target.

Rumors flew regarding the Cubs’ interest in the 9-year MLB veteran, but there was no real indication from the Cubs themselves that there was ever any pursuit of the former White Sox starter.

Padres sign Lucas Giolito

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Now, all of that is a moot point as the 31-year-old Giolito has signed with the pitching-desperate San Diego Padres.

Per the Padres’ verified Twitter/X account:

Welcome to San Diego, Lucas!

We have signed right-handed pitcher Lucas Giolito to a one-year contract with a mutual option for the 2027 season.

The deal is reportedly worth $3 million for 2026 with an undisclosed mutual option amount for next year. He is expected to go through about a month’s worth of rehab/conditioning outings in the minors before making his way to the big league squad.

After missing all of 2024 with an elbow injury, Giolito posted a respectable 3.41 ERA over 26 starts for the Red Sox last season. He was shut down prior to the postseason, however, with right elbow soreness. That late-season injury, added to two prior serious elbow issues—one requiring Tommy John surgery in 2012 and the other requiring internal brace surgery in 2024—make him a significant gamble right now, although $3 million is not a lot to play around with, especially for a starting pitcher with a good amount of success behind him.

The Cubs probably would’ve placed him in the back of their rotation and then would’ve moved either Colin Rea or Javier Assad back to bullpen duty.

No need for Giolito

Clearly, however, the Cubs did not have as much urgency in picking up a back-of-rotation starter as the Padres did. Shota Imanaga and Edward Cabrera have been killing it so far. Colin Rea and Javier Assad are doing well as rotation subs and Boyd is slated to make his return from the IL on Wednesday. Ben Brown is around as a swingman as well. Chicago is also holding out hope that Steele—upon his scheduled return in early June—can be at least somewhat as rock solid as he’s been over the last few years as the team’s most consistently effective starting pitcher.

But even with the Cubs rotation on firm ground right now, a trade deadline deal for an impact starter should absolutely not be ruled out. Former Cub Marcus Stroman is also still available, by the way.

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