The deadline to extend qualifying offers to free agents was on Thursday. The Boston Red Sox did not utilize the tool, which was seen as a possibility for starting pitcher Lucas Giolito.

Giolito will now become an unrestricted free agent and can sign with any team with no penalties. The 2026 qualifying offer was set at $22 million. Teams that sign a player who rejected a qualifying offer are penalized, while the player’s previous team receives a compensatory draft pick.

Giolito was solid for the Red Sox in 2025 but inconsistent. He started the season slowly, but posted a 2.89 ERA over 93 1/3 innings from June through August. He was a surprise absence from the Red Sox’s Wild Card roster after it was revealed he was dealing with an elbow injury. Late in the season, his velocity declined, an

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