The clock is ticking towards the August 1 Major League Baseball trade deadline.

Chicago White Sox right-handed starting pitcher Lucas Giolito should be drawing interest as the trade deadline approaches.

Giolito, who turns 29 July 14, is in the final year of his contract.

Currently working on a $10.4 million contract, unless the White Sox extend him, Giolito can become a free agent at the end of the season.

Even though Giolito indicates he wishes to stay with the White Sox, he has the ability to fetch a solid return in a trade.

Needing starting pitching, the Los Angeles Dodgers would be a great fit for Giolito.

The Washington Nationals drafted Lucas Giolito out of Harvard-Westlake High School in Los Angeles, in the 1st round of the 2012 draft.

As the 16th player taken in the draft, the Nationals gave Giolito a $2,925,000 signing bonus. That was above Major League Baseball’s $2,250,000 suggested value for that slot.

The amount was used to keep Giolito away from enrolling at UCLA.

At the age of 21, Giolito made his big league debut for the Nationals on June 28, 2016.

After appearing six times for Washington, and making four starts, the Nationals traded Giolito and pitchers Dane Dunning and Reynaldo Lopez to the White Sox for outfielder Adam Eaton.

That White Sox trade with Washington has been consequential. Giolito is still with the club as a dependable starter, and Lopez is working in the bullpen. Dunning was traded by Chicago to the Texas Rangers, with starter Lance Lynn coming to the White Sox in return.

Giolito has a large, 6-6, 245 pound frame. He is strong and agile for his build.

At the time the Nationals drafted Giolito, in the normal 40-80 baseball scout grading system, Giolito was widely graded a 70. That translates to a consistent All Star quality pitcher, with several well above average pitches in a vast arsenal. The grade also implies excellent command and control.

Giolito was among some excellent starting pitcher options in the 2012 draft that included current MLB starting pitchers Kevin Gausman (4th overall) Max Fried (7th overall) and Andrew Heaney (9th overall.)

Giolito had a combination of size, stamina, an excellent repertoire, advanced maturity, and good pitching mechanics. That led many scouts to believe he would be the first high school right-handed pitcher ever drafted No. 1 overall.

An injury to his right collateral ligament caused a drop in his draft status. After appearing in one game as a professional in 2012, Giolito underwent Tommy John surgery that August.

Giolito is now in his 8th big league season. He was an All Star with the White Sox in 2019.

While Giolito has not achieved the consistent All Star status scouts projected, he has been a steady, reliable starter. He has been generally capable of keeping his team in games, and giving them a chance to win.

There have been inconsistencies in his performances that can’t be denied. Still, he is proving to be effective.

According to Brooksbaseball.net, Giolito’s current repertoire includes a four-seam fastball that sits at 93 miles per hour. He uses that pitch 42% of the time.

Giolito’s fastball sets up an excellent 84 miles per hour slider, which he throws on 29% of his pitches. If his slider is biting, Giolito is very tough to hit.

His other two pitches are his 81 miles per hour changeup, which amounts to 29% of his offerings, and an occasional 78 miles per hour curveball, which he uses very rarely.

This year there has been a slight uptick in his fastball velocity. He is throwing the four-seamer at roughly 2 miles per hour faster than at the end of last season.

Giolito struggled a bit in 2018, and since those troubles, he has been revamping his delivery to gain greater efficiency.

The difference between his 2018 and 2019 seasons was dramatic. For one, his strikeout rate almost doubled. He went from striking out 6.5 hitters per nine innings, to striking out 11.6 per nine. His walk rate went from 4.7 walks per nine, to 2.9.

Giolito adopted a much shorter release point. Where his arm swing was once long and extended beyond what one would consider the norm, he drastically revised his delivery. He is using the shorter arm action, which allows less stress on his shoulder, his elbow, and his forearm.

Giolito’s arm action is much quicker since his adjustments, as he moves his arm no further than to his ear before the release, as the photos illustrate.

So far this season, Giolito has a record of 6-5, covering 112.1 innings in 19 starts. He has thrown to a 3.45 ERA and 1.13 WHIP in 112.1 innings pitched.

While Giolito’s current contract value is a bargain for today’s starting pitchers, the White Sox should find a number of willing trade partners for Giolito’s services. Even if the new team just “rents” Giolito for the rest of the year, he could bring great value as part of a contending team’s rotation.

For this scout, a Giolito trade to the Dodgers makes great sense.

Dustin May and Clayton Kershaw are on the Injured List. Walker Buehler is recovering from Tommy John surgery. They are starting three rookies, and their starting pitching depth is severely challenged.

The Dodgers are in a heated battle for the National League Western Division title. They could use the skills of Giolito.

The return in a trade for Lucas Giolito should be good, even with his pending free agency. The White Sox may be able to add a quality player or players to help them build their roster for the future.

And while they are in a trading mood, maybe the Dodgers can include White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson in their discussions with Chicago. He can use a change of scenery, and the Dodgers need a shortstop.