Since the moment Tanner Houck flamed out at the beginning of the 2025 season, there's been one painfully obvious need for the Boston Red Sox to fill on their roster: a No. 2 starting pitcher.
Brayan Bello was asked to hold down that spot behind Garrett Crochet for most of this past season, and while he performed admirably (3.35 ERA, 4.19 FIP), he was punching above his weight. Lucas Giolito was the other "frontline" starter in Boston, though his promising results were the result of a lot of smoke and mirrors.
The team ultimately decided not to hand Giolito a qualifying offer after he injured his elbow at the end of ther regular season, effectively ending his tenure in Beantown.