Lucas Giolito Arbitration Off to Strange Start With White Sox

MLB's arbitration deadline was on Tuesday, which means eligible players and teams looking to file a salary figure for the 2022 season had to agree prior to that date. However, that wasn't the case for starting pitcher Lucas Giolito and the Chicago White Sox despite just a razor-thin difference.

This is so weird because the #WhiteSox rarely go to arbitration. I’m guessing there’s more to this story than being $200K apart. https://t.co/H7daZ3fg4z
— James Fox (@JamesFox917) March 23, 2022

White Sox News

The two sides were only $200K apart, but will head to court nonetheless. It's noteworthy to point out that the White Sox have avoided arbitration cases when possible over the years. The club did come to an agreement with two other players in Reynaldo Lopez ($2.63 million) and Adam Engel ($2 million).

Before fans from the South Side of Chicago start to freak out, there is a likely explanation here. MLB insider Mark Feinsand reported that an executive did tell him that the two sides do not always know what the other's filing number is going to be. There isn't always a back and forth like many assume.

The reality is that the White Sox need to figure out Giolito's arbitration case soon with Opening Day nearing closer. Although hearings will take place during the regular season due to the lockout, Giolito can continue negotiations with the White Sox in an attempt to reach an agreement before that.

And unless there's something strange going on that we don't know about, it shouldn't be too hard to reach an agreement with the sides only $200,000 apart on salary.

The 27 year-old has posted an ERA under 3.60 in each of his last three seasons and owns a 29-21 record during that span (72 starts). He pays a key role on a White Sox team looking to win the AL Central. They currently have odds set at -210 to accomplish that goal, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

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Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.