The Boston Red Sox made a major offseason move by landing left-handed ace Garrett Crochet in a blockbuster trade with the Chicago White Sox.
At just 25 years old, Crochet is set to lead a rotation that includes Tanner Houck, Brayan Bello, and newly signed Walker Buehler. With Boston considering a six-man rotation, Kutter Crawford and a returning Lucas Giolito could round out the staff.
Last season, Crochet excelled in his first full year as a starter, recording 209 strikeouts over 146 innings in 32 starts. He posted a 3.58 ERA, 115 ERA+, and 2.69 FIP while striking out 12.9 batters per nine innings and maintaining a 1.068 WHIP, earning his first All-Star selection.
Set to hit free agency after the 2026 season, Crochet was recently asked about a possible extension with Boston—his response may give Red Sox fans reason for concern.
Garrett Crochet opens up about extension talks with Boston Red Sox
In an interview with MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo, Garrett Crochet suggested he might hold off on signing an extension, even though both sides had contract discussions in January.
“There are always pros and cons to everything,” Crochet said. “Long-term security is definitely appealing. As players, we want to take care of our families first. But since last year was my first real experience as a starter, part of me wants to see what I can do over a full season with a heavier workload.
“(I) was on a short leash. Part of me wants to see what I could do in a full season before, I suppose, locking myself into a certain bracket of player.”
Crochet moved into a starting role after previously pitching as a reliever, but injuries have impacted his career. He missed the entire 2022 season due to Tommy John surgery and was limited to 13 appearances in 2023. Over the past five years, he has also dealt with back and shoulder issues.
The White Sox made him available at last year’s trade deadline, but teams hesitated to pursue him after he expressed interest in signing an extension to pitch in the postseason.
Although an extension could provide Crochet with stability given his injury history, the Red Sox have time on their side, as he remains under team control for two more seasons.
