Starting pitcher Lucas Giolito exercised his $19 million option for the 2025 season, the Red Sox announced on Thursday.
The move did not come as a surprise, as Giolito missed this season after undergoing elbow surgery. The righthander is expected to be ready for spring training and should be a key contributor.
Giolito was one of the best pitchers in the big leagues from 2019-21 while with the White Sox, compiling a 3.47 ERA in 72 starts. Prior to his surgery, the 30-year-old had a history of taking the ball every fifth day, with four seasons of at least 30 starts and another with 29. Not being able to do that this year weighed on him.
“It’s hard,” he said during the season. “It can be difficult sometimes to juggle the feeling of, like, I obviously signed here, it’s a lot of money, I’m letting people down, vs. this kind of [expletive] that happens in baseball. We blow our elbows out.
“I didn’t want it to happen now. But it’s kind of the hand you’re dealt.”
However, with a healthy offseason, the hope is that he will return to his old form.
Julian McWilliams can be reached at julian.mcwilliams@globe.com. Follow him @byJulianMack.
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