RHP Lucas Giolito sparks intrigue after indications he may be traded: "Dodgers will fix him"

Could Lucas Giolito of the Chicago White Sox be the first high-profile trade of the 2023 season? Some rumors are indicating that that could indeed be the case.

According to MLB analyst Bob Nightengale, the White Sox have indicated that they want to deal Giolito after the end of the season, or possibly sooner.

Lucas Giolito's $10.4 million, one-year contract is set to expire at the end of the season. With the White Sox already looking out of contention, the idea is that the right-hander may provide some trade capital for the team to nab some strong prospects for the future.

Daniel Greenberg

@ChiSportUpdates

The Chicago White Sox don’t plan to keep starting pitcher Lucas Giolito after this season, per @BNightengale.

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The Chicago White Sox don’t plan to keep starting pitcher Lucas Giolito after this season, per @BNightengale.

"The Chicago White Sox don’t plan to keep starting pitcher Lucas Giolito after this season, per @BNightengale" - Daniel Greenberg

As one of the league's most well-known pitchers in terms of longevity, it has not taken long for fans from a succession of different teams to make claims to the Santa Monica, California-native.

The Flus Is Loose

@Poles_DaBurglar

@ChiSportUpdates @BNightengale He's going to be filthy on the Cubs and when we get to fix him

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@ChiSportUpdates @BNightengale He's going to be filthy on the Cubs and when we get to fix him

Anthony Thompson

@athompsonABJ

@ChiSportUpdates @BNightengale Come to the North Side, probably better than Taillon

@ChiSportUpdates @BNightengale Come to the North Side, probably better than Taillon

🅱️🚂

@b_cowell34

@ChiSportUpdates @BNightengale Gonna be great once Cubs lab get a hold of him

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@ChiSportUpdates @BNightengale Gonna be great once Cubs lab get a hold of him

Giolito, 28, is a former first round draft pick. Selected by the Washington Nationals in the 2012 draft, Giolito only appeared in four games for the Nats in 2016. In December 2016, Giolito was part of a group of players who were sent to the White Sox by the Nats in exchange for Adam Eaton.

JB

@AJoseBaeza

@ChiSportUpdates @BNightengale Dodgers will fix him

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@ChiSportUpdates @BNightengale Dodgers will fix him

Alex

@ozzygrrrr

@ChiSportUpdates @BNightengale Giolito you’re an Astro

@ChiSportUpdates @BNightengale Giolito you’re an Astro

Michael Schwab

@michaelschwab13

Astros should absolutely look into a trade for Giolito twitter.com/chisportupdate…

Daniel Greenberg

@ChiSportUpdates

The Chicago White Sox don’t plan to keep starting pitcher Lucas Giolito after this season, per @BNightengale.

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The Chicago White Sox don’t plan to keep starting pitcher Lucas Giolito after this season, per @BNightengale.

Astros should absolutely look into a trade for Giolito twitter.com/chisportupdate…

While 2017 saw Giolito's first forray into the White Sox pitching corps, 2018 was the year that Giolito became a starter. Although he posted an ERA 6.13 alongside an league-high 118 earned runs, the club saw his potential. The next season, 2019, Lucas Giolito bettered his ERA to 3.19, and led the MLB in shutouts. Additionally, Giolito threw a no-hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates in August 2020.

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Lucas Giolito still has the capacity to be a difference maker for a potential new club

Over the course of his eight seasons in the MLB, Giolito has demonstrated incredible poise and tenacity. A pitcher who can whip pitches in excess of 100 miles per hour and be able to throw 100 or more in one appearance is not easy to come by.

If the Chicago White Sox do end up trading Lucas Giolito, fans can be sure that the team will be asking for a hefty price in return. While nobody knows the pitcher's ultimate destination, it can be reasonably surmised that he will be heading to a team that will allow him to continue being an impact starter, as well as an opportunity to win a championship.

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