The Red Sox on Monday made sure Garrett Crochet’s future remained in Boston.
According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the Red Sox and Crochet
agreed to a massive six-year, $170 million contract extension. Passan noted the extension starts in 2026 with an opt-out following the 2030 season. The deal is the largest ever for a pitcher with Crochet’s service time of four-plus years, per Passan.
It is somewhat surprising that a deal got done less than a week into the regular season. Crochet said
Opening Day was his deadline on extension talks, and it came and went without any rumored movement from either side.
The Red Sox obviously loved what they saw from Crochet, who they acquired for four prospects from the Chicago White Sox in December, in just a few short months to make a long-term investment in him.
“We would obviously love to have him a part of the organization for a long time,” Red Sox CEO and president
Sam Kennedy told WEEI on March 19. “You’ve seen a little glimpse of what hopefully is to come. He and his family need to decide is Boston where they want to be. As the three of us know, it’s not for everybody. But I think given his mindset and makeup, he’ll have a lot of success here if that’s what he chooses.”
Crochet, 25, has the look of an ace that can spearhead Boston’s starting rotation for years to come despite being in just his second season as a full-time starting pitcher. The 6-foot-6, 245-pound lefty turned in an All-Star campaign with the White Sox last season and the Red Sox clearly think he can replicate those results as he struck out 209 batters in 146 innings in 2024. He also posted a 3.58 ERA.
Crochet got off to a
solid, but not dominant start in a Red Sox uniform last week. He took the ball in the season opener against the Texas Rangers and allowed two runs on five hits with two walks and four strikeouts in five innings of work.
Crochet, who is only on the books for $3.8 million this season before his extension kicks in that will pay him $28.3 million annually, will make his second start of his Red Sox tenure Wednesday against the Baltimore Orioles.
