SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Padres signed veteran right-handed pitcher Lucas Giolito to a one-year contract that includes a mutual option for 2027. Giolito will report to Class A Lake Elsinore to build endurance before joining the Padres' rotation in mid-May.

Financial terms were not disclosed. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Padres transferred right-hander Bryan Hoeing to the 60-day disabled list. General manager A.J. Preller adjusted the roster to fit Giolito under the team's budget during an ownership transition. The family of late owner Peter Seidler is nearing a sale of the Padres to billionaire Jose E. Feliciano and his wife, Kwanza Jones.

Giolito, a 31-year-old Southern California native, remained on the free agent market nearly one month into the 2026 regular season before signing with San Diego. He became a free agent after declining his end of a $19 million mutual option with the Boston Red Sox, which he had joined on a two-year, $38.5 million contract in January 2024.

The signing addresses injuries in the Padres' rotation. Opening Day starter Nick Pivetta was placed on the injured list last week with a right elbow flexor strain that could keep him out for months. Joe Musgrove has not made his season debut after a slower-than-expected return from Tommy John surgery, and Yu Darvish is out for the season with an elbow injury. Right-hander Matt Waldron started a game last week in place of Pivetta and struggled in a loss to the Los Angeles Angels. Giolito will join a rotation that currently includes Michael King, Randy Vasquez, German Marquez and Walker Buehler. Dylan Cease signed a $210 million free-agent contract with the Toronto Blue Jays last fall.

In 2025, Giolito went 10-4 with a 3.41 ERA over 26 starts for the Red Sox, including a 9-1 record with a 2.26 ERA in 15 starts from June 10 to August 31. Opponents hit .194 against his changeup and .200 against his curveball. He missed the entire 2024 season following right ulnar collateral ligament repair with an internal brace in March 2024. He was left off the Red Sox postseason roster after experiencing elbow discomfort in mid-September 2025, though no structural damage was found.

Over parts of nine seasons with the Washington Nationals, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels, Cleveland Guardians and Red Sox, Giolito has compiled a 71-66 record with a 4.30 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP. He was selected to the All-Star Game in 2019 and threw a no-hitter in 2020. From 2018 to 2025, he ranked in the top five among American League pitchers in innings pitched (1,092), strikeouts (1,153), wins (68) and complete games (5). He has not pitched in the postseason since 2021, when he made his second career playoff appearance for the White Sox.

The Padres beat the Colorado Rockies 1-0 on Tuesday night for their 11th victory in 12 games. San Diego has a 16-7 record, tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the best in Major League Baseball, and the team's earned run average of 3.22 is the second lowest in the majors.