Realistic backup plan for Red Sox if Yoshinobu Yamamoto signs elsewhere

MLB free agency is in a bit of a lull period right now as teams await Yoshinobu Yamamoto's free agency decision. While there were signings galore after Shohei Ohtani announced his intention to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers on a 10-year, $700 million contract, the pause button was hit with Yamamoto meeting with interested teams, and there were a lot of them. One of those organizations is the Boston Red Sox.

The Red Sox didn't make any splash moves so far this offseason, with new chief baseball officer Craig Breslow making minimal moves. Red Sox fans are waiting for the big move to drop, with the hope being that it will be Yamamoto, the three-time Pacific League MVP of Nippon Professional Baseball's Orix Buffaloes.

But what if Yamamoto is to spurn the Red Sox? After all, teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, and the rival Yankees all being viewed as favorites. There is one logical pivot plan for the Red Sox.

Sign Lucas Giolito.

Red Sox should pivot to Lucas Giolito if they lose out on Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Giolito is not in the tier of starting pitchers on the open market like Yamamoto, Blake Snell, and Jordan Montgomery. But the former Chicago White Sox ace is one of the better starters available.

The Red Sox have been linked to Giolito before. Just a couple of weeks ago, MLB Network insider Jon Morosi said the Red Sox were among teams to have expressed interest in Giolito, alongside the Mets, Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Kansas City Royals.

This past season, Giolito started with the White Sox. Despite the team underperforming, Giolito still put up good numbers, like a 3.79 ERA, a 1.123 WHIP, 131 strikeouts, and 42 walks in 121.0 innings (21 starts). But at the trade deadline, Giolito was dealt alongside Reynaldo Lopez to the Los Angeles Angels in a blockbuster trade. But after six starts, Giolito and a bevy of other players were waived by the Angels. Giolito finished out the season with the Cleveland Guardians.

In 2023 as a whole, Giolito recorded a 4.88 ERA, a 1.313 WHIP, 204 strikeouts, and 73 walks in 184.1 innings (American League-high 33 starts). In his eight-year career, Giolito recorded a 4.43 ERA, a 1.254 WHIP, 1,077 strikeouts, and 385 walks in 1,013.2 innings (180 games).

Signing Giolito may not move the needle like Yamamoto or Snell, but he would address a need that the Red Sox have, and that's starting pitching. Given their reported interest in Giolito, it would not be entirely shocking that they pursue him after missing out on Yamamoto.