The Red Sox’ decision to not tender a qualifying offer to free agent starter Lucas Giolito on Thursday might have come as a surprise to some. Not Giolito, however.

Appearing on Audacy’s Baseball Isn’t Boring podcast with Rob Bradford , Giolito said he was never expecting to receive the one-year, $22.025 million qualifying offer after ending the season sidelined with an elbow injury which he said has since subsided.

“I wasn’t banking on it,” Giolito told Bradford. “I was pretty sure I wasn’t gonna get it. Because I ended the year injured. That’s how it works. You end the year hurt, you’re not in a good spot to command a qualifying offer or whatever. So moving on.

“I thought it was obvious. I went into this offseason knowing full well I’d be a free agent. You end the year hurt, it put

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