But those talks could go silent soon with a deadline to strike a deal on the horizon.
“The conversation we’ve had is just Opening Day,” Crochet told WEEI’s Rob Bradford.
Crochet added: “I would rather not (talk contract during the season). I feel like it could be a distraction for myself and I don’t exactly want to be in the clubhouse talking about it with my teammates around me. It’s one of those things where I feel like it kind of takes focus away from being where your feet are. Whether it’s halfway through the year, first month of the year, or let’s say we’re fighting for a playoff spot and I’m over here talking about me. I just don’t want to take away from what the team’s doing.”
Crochet, 25, is on a favorable contract for the Red Sox at the moment. He’s under team control for two seasons and he’s set to make $3.8 million in 2024.
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The Red Sox certainly see Crochet as their frontline starting pitcher who can spearhead the rotation for years to come. The 6-foot-6, 245-pound lefty hasn’t let any doubt crawl in about that during spring training, either. It is only exhibition games, but Crochet still has been dominant to the tune of 21 strikeouts and a 0.87 ERA across 10 1/3 innings this spring. There’s no reason to think that won’t carry over once games start counting for real.
Given Crochet’s potential — he spent only one season so far as a full-time starting pitcher — and what the All-Star pitcher has already displayed on the mound in his MLB career, a big payday probably is on his way in the future.
That might give Crochet some pause in signing an extension at the moment with the Red Sox, especially if he’s willing to bet on himself. But with his injury history — he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2022 — Crochet could always opt to take the guaranteed contract early rather than wait around.
Crochet certainly has a lot to think about with only nine days until Opening Day.
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“There’s always pros and cons to everything,” Crochet told reporters in February. “I think that the long-term security is definitely something attractive. As players, we like to look out for our family first. But with last year being my first taste of starting, part of me also wants to see what I could do with the full season of innings workload.
“Obviously, I made every start last year. Felt like I was prepared to go the distance in the second half, but was kind of 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.”
