MLB rumors: Red Sox, Garrett Crochet have discussed contract extension

The Boston Red Sox have made it clear all offseason long that they intend to rise the ranks in the MLB after a few seasons spent in the middle of the pack. And they certainly have put their money where their mouth is. They decided to part ways with a few of their most highly-regarded prospects to bring in southpaw ace Garrett Crochet in a trade with the Chicago White Sox.

Crochet had an incredible 2024 campaign in his first full season as a starter, and the Red Sox certainly see him as perhaps the second-coming of Chris Sale, a White Sox starter who continued his Cy Young ways in Beantown. What made Crochet’s price on the trade market so expensive was the fact that he had two remaining years of team control, and he won’t exactly cost too much in arbitration.

Regardless, considering how much the Red Sox gave up to bring Crochet in, there is no surprise whatsoever to hear that Boston is looking to secure the services of 25-year-old lefty for the long haul. As per Chris Cotillo of Mass Live, the two sides “have already had some dialogue about a contract extension, a baseball source confirmed Wednesday. Nonetheless, Cotillo wrote that “it remains unclear if anything is close”.

The priority of Crochet and his camp, however, is to secure a one-year deal to avoid arbitration. But the Red Sox are reportedly looking at protecting their investment with a long-term deal.

The Red Sox may want to see Crochet handle a full season’s worth of workload before committing a ton of money to him. Crochet, as one would recall, did not pitch too much to end the 2024 season, and there are certainly some concerns surrounding his ability to front a rotation for a team with contending aspirations.

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Garrett Crochet’s next contract with the Red Sox, a guessing game

MLB rumors: Red Sox, Garrett Crochet have discussed contract extension — Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

Looking at Garrett Crochet’s 2024 season alone would have fans believing that he is worth a huge investment, and for good reason. This past campaign, he put up an ERA of 3.58 across 32 starts while posting an elite strikeout rate of 12.88 punchouts per nine innings. And he’s only 25 years of age.

Alas, all 32 starts of his career came last season; for the first three years of his career, he was deployed out of the bullpen. The concerns surrounding his durability are legitimate, although it could help save the Red Sox millions if they manage to strike a long-term agreement with Crochet this offseason while he still doesn’t have the longest track record of rotational success.