Should the Atlanta Braves take a chance on Lucas Giolito and sign him in free agency? The right-handed hurler is still available on the open market and Atlanta makes sense as a landing destination. Rumors have suggested that they are not going to pursue him, but the fit makes sense nonetheless.
The available starters in the Braves' rotation have dealt with injuries in recent years. Meanwhile, Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep are both dealing with injuries at the moment.
During a recent episode of Talkin' Baseball, analyst Talkin' Jake and former player-turned-analyst Trevor Plouffe agreed that Atlanta makes sense as a Giolito free agency suitor.
Plouffe spent most of his big league career with the Minnesota Twins, and he's a fan of the ball club. It seems as if he thinks the Twins could be a suitor, but admitted during the episode that "the Twins are going to have to be in competition with the Braves for Lucas Giolito, and that hurts my projection a little bit there."
The segment shared on X (formerly Twitter) does not provide Plouffe's specific projection, but his comment suggests he initially guessed that Minnesota would pursue Giolito. Once he remembered the Braves' situation, however, he admitted that Atlanta could also make a push for the veteran starter.
Talkin' Jake later added that "the Braves do jump off the page when you look at (potential Giolito suitors)."
Will Braves Pursue Lucas Giolito in Free Agency?
It remains to be seen if Atlanta will realistically pursue Giolito. The rotation could use the help, as it currently consists of Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, Reynaldo Lopez and Grant Holmes. With Schwellenbach and Waldrep out with injuries, there is an open rotation spot. Additionally, Sale, Strider, Lopez and Holmes have all dealt with injury trouble in recent years.
Still, the Braves have not made an effort to upgrade their starting rotation. With spring training games set to begin on Friday, there are no guarantees that Atlanta will attempt to add another starter -- even if the fit does make sense.
Giolito has battled some injury concerns of his own over the years, but he made 26 starts and recorded a 3.41 ERA in 2025 with the Boston Red Sox. His impressive performance makes it quite surprising that he is even still available in free agency.
So, will the Braves end up pursuing him? The answer is not certain at the moment, but Atlanta should at least consider the idea.