As the Detroit Tigers gear up for spring training, one thing is clear: they’re not planning to part ways with Tarik Skubal anytime soon. And honestly, they shouldn’t.
Skubal is the kind of front-line starter you build around. But if Detroit wants to take the next step - from hanging around the postseason picture to actually owning it - they need to shore up the back end of that rotation.
And there’s a name floating around that could make sense: Lucas Giolito.
Let’s start with what Detroit already has. Skubal is the ace, no question.
Behind him, the Tigers are rolling with John Flaherty and Casey Mize, both of whom bring solid upside if they stay healthy. Reese Olson showed flashes last season, and Troy Melton has potential, but that’s still a rotation with more questions than answers.
Especially after the way 2025 ended.
Detroit dropped a ton of games down the stretch - a brutal run that saw them surrender five or more runs in nine of their final 12 games in September. That collapse cost them the AL Central crown, despite finishing with a respectable 87-75 record.
The offense wasn’t the issue. The pitching just didn’t hold up.
Enter Giolito, who could be exactly the kind of stabilizing presence this team needs - not as a savior, but as a solid No. 4 starter with upside.
After missing all of 2024 with an arm injury, Giolito bounced back in 2025 with the Red Sox. And frankly, he was better than anyone expected.
In 26 starts, he went 10-4 with a 3.41 ERA over 145 innings. He struck out 121, walked 56, and posted a 2.1 WAR - his best since 2023.
That’s not ace-level stuff, but for a team looking to round out its rotation with a dependable veteran, that’s a win.
Now, there’s still some concern. Giolito missed the Red Sox’s Wild Card Series against the Yankees with an elbow issue, and that’s going to raise red flags for any front office.
But the reports say he’s expected to be ready for spring training. If that holds true, he becomes a classic low-risk, high-reward signing - especially for a team like the Tigers, who aren’t shopping in the Framber Valdez or Zac Gallen aisle.
Detroit needs another quality arm to support Skubal. They’ve got the pieces to compete in the AL Central, but they can’t afford another September meltdown.
Giolito may not be the guy who puts them over the top, but he can absolutely be part of the solution. And in today’s game, where depth is everything, that matters.
There’s also the familiarity factor. Giolito knows the AL Central well from his days with the White Sox, where he had some of the best years of his career.
From 2019 to 2021, he was consistently in the Cy Young conversation - with 2019 standing out as his best season, when he struck out 228 batters in 176.2 innings. That version of Giolito may be gone, but the experience and competitiveness remain.
There are other teams reportedly in the mix - the Nationals, for instance, who originally drafted him, and the Braves, who could use a steady No. 4.
But it all comes down to price. If Giolito is looking for something in the $15-20 million range, that might scare off teams hoping to use him as a trade chip down the line.
But if he’s closer to $10-15 million, he becomes a real option.
The Red Sox haven’t ruled out a reunion either. Giolito himself said he’d be open to returning, though he acknowledged that Boston’s rotation might already be full. “That’s business, baby,” as he put it.
For the Tigers, this is about filling a need with a pitcher who’s proven he can handle a full season - and who might still have something left in the tank. Giolito’s not going to headline a rotation anymore, but he doesn’t have to. What he can do is give Detroit quality innings, take pressure off the bullpen, and help keep this team in games when the calendar flips to September.
Because if there’s one thing last season taught the Tigers, it’s that depth matters. And Giolito, for all the ups and downs in his career, still has the tools to be a difference-maker in the right role.
In a division still very much up for grabs, that might be all Detroit needs.