I would be totally open to Giolito on a 2-3 year deal. I mean, if we are bringing in Breslow and Bailey and others, this is the exact type of guy that you want this team to take chances on, no? He’s had sustained success as a top of the rotation SP in MLB. He has struggled (mightily) the last two years with injury/divorce/bad play. He is still 29 years old, he has made 29+ starts in 6 of his 8 MLB seasons, and has averaged ~175 IP. If the Sox can sign him for 2-3 years and $20-25M AAV, I think it is worth the risk. If a SP like this cannot be reformed / developed by this new Pitching Mecca that is FSG, then who can?
I’d also be fine with Imanaga at a reasonable term / length, but I don’t think you are going to see him get less than 5 years and $125M and I would probably stay away from that having seen some of the peripherals that have been posted here by those in the know on NPB.
I literally could not agree with this more. Plus, at a certain level, with no QO attached, you’ve really lost nothing, besides call it $20m (per season) of JWH’s money that he’d only be using on this year (and next years) versions of guys like Duvall, Paxton, Joley Rodriguez, Mondessi anyway since they’re refusing to go after guys at the top of the market anyway.
Also, as
@LogansDad alluded to recently, even last year Giolito gave a team a really good chance to win in 24 of his starts (admittedly no chance in 7) and two more that were not exactly what you want, but also didn’t destroy the bullpen the way relying on Chris Sale, James Paxton and Corey Kluber did last year (both by predictably missing about 24 starts and by Kluber’s total incompetence.
Giolito had a very good prospect pedigree, had a 3 year stretch of being a high level 2 (at worst) and is still less than 30 years old. If Bailey is as good as we all hope, and we think he can work wonders with Kutter Crawford, he should be able to do the same with someone like Giolito.
Again, I drastically preferred something like signing JM and trading for “Logan Gilbert” but it’s become incredibly obvious that those type of acquisitions are not happening. So now as we debate one uninspiring one year deal vs another (hmmmm, will Paxton start 15 games before getting hurt or Ryu, or Sale, or…) I’d say take the shot on the guy that is about 6 years younger and two seasons removed from being an every 5th day stud.