MLB Rumors: 3 pitchers Red Sox must sign after Lucas Giolito's season-ending injury

The Boston Red Sox are in trouble.

Early on Tuesday, the team received some bad news when it was learned that Lucas Giolito, who was signed to a two-year, $39.5 million contract, would be beginning the 2024 season on the injured list thanks to an elbow issue.

Jen McCaffrey, who covers the Red Sox for The Athletic, noted that Giolito felt elbow discomfort after his last outing and that the team is concerned.

This is a major problem for the Red Sox, and they'll need to dive back into the free agent market.

Here are three pitchers the Red Sox could target.

3. Michael Lorenzen is a former All-Star the Red Sox can sign

Lorenzen was an All-Star in 2023 with the Detroit Tigers before he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies. The veteran right-hander put up far better numbers in Detroit despite throwing a no-hitter in his first start as a Phillie.

However, he's a durable arm that can be used as a starter or a long reliever, and it might not be a bad idea for the Red Sox to look into signing him to a one-year deal.

Lorenzen is far from the top-level starter they need, and certainly not the best option, but he would at the very least fill a hole while the Red Sox wait and see how bad Giolito's elbow injury is and how much time he will need to recover.

The 32-year-old started 25 games in 2023 and made four relief appearances. He went 9-9 with a 4.18 ERA in those appearances while also logging 153 innings and fanning 111 batters.

Still, the Red Sox are going to need something a little bit better than Lorenzen if they want to make improvements in 2024 after another last place finish.

Time will tell if Lorenzen is on their radar or if they'll look elsewhere.