Lucas Giolito received’t get to bond with the newly-traded Chris Sale about swapping White Sox for Red Sox, however he’s already gotten to know one among his new teammates.
“I met him last offseason, and he’s a very talented kid,” Giolito mentioned, when talking to reporters over Zoom on Wednesday night.
He was speaking about none aside from Vaughn Grissom, the infielder acquired from the Atlanta Braves within the stunning Sale commerce on Dec. 30. The veteran beginning pitcher and the barely-out-of-rookie-eligibility infielder are each represented by the identical company. Said company put collectively a slew of exercises and occasions in Los Angeles, so Grissom flew out to partake. “(We) worked out together for a few days and I think we went to, like, a Lakers game or something like that,” Giolito recalled. “Looking forward to getting to know him better.”
Grissom made his Major League debut at Fenway Park – and hit his first profession house run over the Green Monster – when the Braves paid the Red Sox a go to through the ’22 season, however didn’t have a lot room to develop together with his former membership. With Ozzie Albies and Orlando Arcia firmly ensconced at second base and shortstop, Grissom solely collected 64 profession video games within the Majors, and solely 23 in ’23. In Boston, nevertheless, the Red Sox see him taking on on a regular basis duties at second base, and work in tandem with Trevor Story.
“I think that he’s gonna really come into his own, having that opportunity to play every day,” Giolito assessed.
Unlike Grissom, who’s becoming a member of Boston’s burgeoning younger core, Giolito, at solely 29 years outdated, is already one among his new crew’s extra veteran gamers. It’s a accountability the latter doesn’t take evenly.
“It feels like yesterday I was a rookie,” Giolito mentioned. “I’ve learned a lot from the veterans ahead of me.”
“I’m looking to, now that I’m at this point in my career, step into an organization and I just want to do everything I can to help this team win,” he continued. “And a part of that’s being a very good teammate, and being a very good vet to the youthful guys. I do know there’s loads of good, actually gifted younger pitchers on the crew, so I’m trying to get to know them, develop relationships, assist them in any method I can.
“No matter what it is, mental side of the game, physical side, you know, just being there, being a good teammate, that’s hugely important to me as a player. And I think that for a team to come together and have cohesion and win, you got to have that from top to bottom, veterans and the young guys.”
As to different potential additions the Red Sox want, Giolito was diplomatic, however clear. “I think there’s probably some more moves to be made, and I don’t think it’s really my place to say, you know, I just got here,” he mentioned with a chuckle. “But yeah, I think that it’s going to be pretty exciting, put together a nice squad and once we get to spring training, start getting to work.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com