The Boston Red Sox are drawing ever closer to seeing the long-awaited debut of veteran starter Lucas Giolito.

Signed to a two-year, $38.5 million contract last season, Giolito got injured on Mar. 1 and couldn’t throw a single inning in the regular season. Now, he’s hoping to be ready for Opening Day, having thrown live to hitters for the first time in his rehab earlier this week.

Giolito, a 2021 American League All-Star with the Chicago White Sox, will be on a mission to prove he can still get the job done at a high level after a rocky 2023 season. But for any top-tier athlete, a contract year can be an added source of pressure.

However, Giolito said during his appearance on the Wednesday episode of the Baseball Isn’t Boring podcast that his impending free agency is, frankly, the last thing on his mind.

“My first contract year, it was definitely on my mind,” Giolito said. “I started the year with the White Sox, traded at the deadline, the Angels for a month. Put on waivers, Cleveland for a month and especially in the later half of the year, that was on my mind. And I think it was having negative effects on my overall psyche when it came to pitching and baseball.

“I’ve learned lessons from that. I could give a (expletive) about my contract year this year. At this point, looking around the room and looking around the clubhouse, seeing the talent, seeing how well we’re meshing together, I’m thinking playoffs and beyond. That’s the focus.”

The 30-year-old Giolito could still be in Boston in 2026 without having to sign a new contract. The Red Sox will have a $14 million club option if he throws less than 140 innings this season, and the two sides have a $19 million mutual option with a $1.5 million buyout if he eclipses that marker.

However, this is a situation where the play on the field has to dictate the discussion, and so far, we’ve yet to see even the smallest of sample sizes.

The Red Sox don’t need Giolito to be an ace, which they may have been counting on at the start of last season. But if he can be a productive number-four, they might have one of the deepest and best rotations in the entire sport.