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Boston Red Sox Lucas Giolito launcher is concerned about the safety of MLB players in the middle of an increase in sports betting, revealing that he and his girlfriend were harassed on social networks.
Giolito, 31, spoke of the issue after meeting the MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, this week. He said to “Baseball is not boring” Podcast that Manfred encountered the Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies to discuss questions and concerns and he took the opportunity to raise a problem which, according to him, is a serious threat for most baseball players.
The launcher starting from the Boston Red Sox, Lucas Giolito, # 54, reacts after a removal of the stick to end the third round against the Seattle Mariners at the T-Mobile Park on June 16, 2025. (Joe Nicholson-Imagn images)
“I asked him questions about something that was in my mind this year that was a little worrying for me with the climb of sports betting – the access that exists now with social media and everything,” said Giolito.
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“Threats when a player does not work well – threats to his family, threats to their lives – it becomes very tiring. I am worried about guys who are perhaps new in the league and who are not ready for something like that.”
The 2019 All-Star said that it had been subject to angry threats to social networks, whatever its performance. He noted that even his girlfriend “obtains many bad guys —.”
“When it comes to the game, it obviously created an increase in insane people online – well, not crazy, just unhappy. I receive messages after each game, even games where I put well where they did me because I found myself instead of being hundreds of dollars and they are not making a lot of money, but they have played, but they have a decline.”
The Boston Red Sox launcher, Lucas Giolito, and his girlfriend sit in the second quarter of matches between Connecticut Sun and Indiana fever at TD Garden on July 15, 2025. (Danielle Parhizkaran / The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Source of death threats against Lance McCullers JR “
Giolito has admitted that if sports betting has existed for some time, access to players on social networks and access to the game has made it a more important problem over the years. While staying out of social media can protect players from negativity, Giolito said he does not remove the real threats that athletes may face.
“It is only going so far,” he said. “Will it take an assaulted player in front of his building by an unhappy guy who lost a bet for real measures to take?”
Giolito said he appreciated the commissioner to speak with teams and players, adding that “being able to get face -to -face time and ask questions is always good”.
The launcher starting from the Boston Red Sox, Lucas Giolito, # 54, leaves a baseball match against the Chicago Cubs during the sixth round at Wrigley Field on July 18, 2025. (Images Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn)
However, Giolito is not the first athlete forever to raise concerns about sports betting – and he is certainly not the first Mlb The player must be subject to alarming threats.
Last month, Texas police identified a man abroad as the culprit who would have made death threats Astric of Houston The launcher launches McCullers Jr. and his family in May. Police said the man was “intoxicated” when he threatens social networks after losing money with a bet.
Astros hired the safety of McCullers and his family. McCullers said he had trouble explaining the situation to his 5 -year -old daughter.
“She asked me when I got home,” dad, as, what is threats? Who wants to hurt us? Who wants to hurt me? “,” McCullers told the Associated Press at the time. “So these conversations are difficult to manage.”
