The San Diego Padres have addressed their pitching woes by signing veteran right-hander Lucas Giolito to a one-year deal with a mutual option for 2027. The 31-year-old Southern California native will bolster a rotation decimated by injuries to key starters like Nick Pivetta, Joe Musgrove, and Yu Darvish.

Giolito comes off a 2025 season where he went 10-4 with a 3.41 ERA for Boston after missing all of 2024 following elbow surgery. He'll report to Class A Lake Elsinore first to build endurance before joining the Padres in mid-May. Despite missing a season due to injury, Giolito still ranks in the top five among AL pitchers from 2018-25 in innings pitched and strikeouts.

The Padres' timing couldn't be better - they boast the second lowest ERA in the majors at 3.22 and are tied for the best record in baseball at 16-7. Giolito slots into a rotation that includes Michael King, Randy Vasquez, German Marquez and Walker Buehler, providing immediate help to a team that has won 11 of its last 12 games.