Is this Guardians pitcher not being talked about enough?

Texas Rangers v Cleveland Guardians
Texas Rangers v Cleveland Guardians / Ron Schwane/GettyImages

There are going to be plenty of pitching options available on the free agent market, some more intriguing than others. These are the types of players who are going to command large contracts with high salary figures. But this particular pitcher is not one likely to come away with a high salary upon entering free agency, but rather be a good buy-low candidate. An option that a team might be willing to take a chance on if the price is right. This potential option would be Lucas Giolito.

Giolito was named as one of 10 Intriguing MLB Free Agents Nobody Is Talking About by Bleacher Report's Brandon Scott. Scott mentions that Giolito was showing signs of his former self early on in Chicago before things went south upon being sent to Los Angeles and being subsequently claimed by Cleveland. 

It looked like he was having a bounce-back season with the White Sox, posting a 3.79 ERA over 21 starts. But he faltered after the trade to the Angels, where his ERA was 6.89 in six starts and then up to 7.04 in six starts with the Guardians.
Brandon Scott on Lucas Giolito

That's pretty rough for someone looking to enter unrestricted free agency for the first time. This was an opportunity for Giolito to cash in and show that 2022 was not an accurate representation of his ability. The former White Sox pitcher was able to keep his ERA below 3.54 and WHIP under 1.104 in three straight seasons (2019-2021). This is significantly better than the 4.88 ERA and 1.313 WHIP he finished with this past year. Additionally Giolito's 6.89 ERA and 1.469 WHIP with the Angels, as well as his 7.04 ERA and 1.500 WHIP in Cleveland, were much worse than his overall season numbers.

The unfortunate part in all this for Giolito is that teams will be basing their contract discussions on his stops in Los Angeles and Cleveland rather than where he began the season. It appears that the two changes of scenery during the year may have played a bigger factor than anyone could have imagined. Giolito may have to take a prove-it deal this year but if he can harness what he has shown to be capable of in the past, he could earn the multi-year deal that anyone in his situation would have been seeking for this year after the 2024 season.