The loss of Dylan Cease hit the San Diego Padres hard, but they at least re-signed Michael King. However, they still need to replace Cease in the starting rotation.
Fansided’s Christopher Kline predicts the Padres will solve this by pursuing and signing All-Star ace Lucas Giolito. Giolito had a good season last year, and produced good stats for a somewhat injured campaign as well.
“The San Diego Padres were never going to spend top dollar this offseason. Re-signing Michael King was a huge win for AJ Preller and that front office, but Dylan Cease's absence still leaves a gaping hole in the rotation. Lucas Giolito outperformed his metrics in Boston, but all the same, he put together a respectable 2025 campaign. He amassed three straight top-15 Cy Young finishes in Chicago from 2019-21, so the résumé is appealing. San Diego can bank on him as a third or fourth starter, with the Padres' offense needing to do the heavy lifting in 2026,” Kline wrote.
Giolito finished 2025 with a 10-4 record, a 3.41 ERA, 121 Ks, and a WHIP of 1.290 over 145 innings pitched. With a full season under his belt after his elbow surgery, Giolito could bounce back even better for the Padres.
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He would also be relatively low-cost for a Padres team short on cash. He’s projected to receive a three-year, $61 million deal, but with the offseason coming to a close, they may be able to get him for even less.
Getting Giolito is probably the best move the Padres can make at this point. If they want to compete with their division rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers, they need to make their roster as strong as possible.
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