I'd still trade him for Sale in a heartbeat
Right, I totally agree. Maybe I didn't add the part where it's easier said than done to find velo, add a grade to a pitch, or find a bunch of extra command. I'd trade him for sure if you found someone willing to take him as the major piece in a deal for a superstar.
My guess is that Robles has replaced Giolito as the prospect everyone asks for in trades.
I was trying to find someone whose profile resembled Giolito's on Fangraphs.
Lucas Giolito71% fastballs (93.4)
18% curveballs (80.2)
11% changeups (83.6)
Carlos Rodon64% fastballs (93.4)
26% sliders (86.7)
10% changeups (83.6)
Both have current/future grades of 60/70 on their breaking pitches, 45-50/55 on their changeups (Giolito's slightly lower on the current grade), and 45/50 on their command.
The difference is that Giolito was supposed to have a 65/70 fastball while Rodon's is a 55/60. And what we saw from Giolito season 1 was more like a 55/60.
Rodon has put up 3.75 and 4.04 ERAs while having some issues around walks and HRs. I don't think we've seen enough stuff/command from Giolito to expect differently.
So yeah, I'd put him up for a trade involving us getting back a superstar.