Lucas Giolito is preparing to pitch his first season with the Red Sox and isn’t letting any distractions cloud his mind.
Giolito signed a two-contract with Boston last offseason. He missed the 2024 season after undergoing elbow surgery and entered spring training on the final year of his contract. The 2019 All-Star pitcher knows from experience why that should be the least of his worries.
“My first contract year, it was definitely on my mind,” Giolito told WEEI’s Rob Bradford on the “Baseball Isn’t Boring” podcast. “I started the year with the White Sox, traded at the deadline, the Angels for a month. Put on waivers, Cleveland for a month and especially in the later half of the year, that was on my mind. And I think it was having negative effects on my overall psyche when it came to pitching and baseball. I’ve learned lessons from that. I could give a (expletive) about my contract year this year. At this point, looking around the room and looking around the clubhouse, seeing the talent, seeing how well we’re meshing together, I’m thinking playoffs and beyond. That’s the focus.”
Giolito made his Red Sox spring training debut last Sunday and continued to make efforts to ensure he is a full-go for the regular season. He’ll be one of many players who will be motivated by an aligned goal of winning the American League East and making the postseason.
Featured image via Nathan Ray Seebeck/Imagn Images
