The red-hot Padres turned to a local to help boost their pitching staff.
San Diego signed veteran righty Lucas Giolito to a one-year deal with a mutual option for the 2027 season, the team announced Wednesday.
Giolito, a Southern California native, can earn $3 million prorated, according to The Post’s Jon Heyman.
The Padres (16-7) are tied with the Dodgers for MLB’s best record and adding Giolito is a proactive move to protect against a rotation dealing with injuries and relying on veterans with recent shaky history.
Opening Day starter Nick Pivetta recently landed on the injured list with a flexor strain in his right elbow that could sideline him for “weeks and maybe months,” manager Craig Stammen told MLB.com.
“So he’s going to take some time, but we feel pretty confident he’s going to get back this year,” Stammen said, according to the outlet.
The franchise is already without Yu Darvish due to elbow surgery, while it’s uncertain when Joe Musgrove will be ready in his return from Tommy John surgery.
Ex-Yankees Michael King (2.28 ERA) and Randy Vasquez (1.88) have each been very good and steadied the rotation, but there is reason for concern with Walker Buehler (4.58) and German Marquez (3.86).
Buehler owns a 5.05 ERA dating to the start of the 2024 season, while Marquez tallied a 5.64 ERA spanning the 2022-25 seasons with the Rockies.
Giolito, 31, went unsigned this offseason despite posting a 3.41 ERA spanning 26 starts for the Red Sox in his return from UCL surgery.
He posted his lowest strikeout per nine innings mark (7.5) since his third season in 2018, but he threw his four-seam fastball harder in 2025 (93.3 mph) than in 2023 (93.1 mph).
The Padres previously showed interest, but nothing came to fruition at the time.
“The last few months have been very strange to where talks seem like they’re heating up and then it’s like, ‘OK, never mind,’” Giolito said on the “Baseball is Boring” podcast, as transcribed by MLB.com.
“I just want to play for close to what my value is.”
The Santa Monica native surely hoped for more than $3 million, but he’ll have a chance to compete for one of baseball’s best teams at the moment.
Giolito is 71-66 with a 4.30 ERA in his career, posting three top-11 Cy Young finishes with the White Sox from 2019-21.
His contract states he must be be added to the roster within 25 days, per MLB.com.
