Since acquiring prized left-hander Garrett Crochet from the White Sox in December, the Red Sox have prioritized extending his contract beyond his remaining two years of team control. The team reportedly initiated extension talks in early January, and at the time, Crochet showed interest in reaching a deal.
However, more recently, he appears inclined to bet on himself. In a recent interview with Alex Speier of the Boston Globe, Crochet stated that he does not wish to continue extension discussions once the regular season begins on March 27.
“For me personally, once the season starts, I would like for whatever conversations are currently being had to be placed on the back burner until the following offseason,” said Crochet, as relayed by Speier. Crochet went on to note that he doesn’t want the possibility of an extension to serve as a distraction for either himself or his teammates once the regular season gets underway.
Given Crochet’s newly established deadline and his previous comments to MassLive’s Chris Cotillo about preferring to play through the 2025 season before committing to a long-term deal, it’s unsurprising that over 65% of respondents in a recent MLBTR poll expect him to enter 2025 without an extension.
However, his reluctance to negotiate beyond Opening Day could push both sides to work more aggressively toward an agreement in the final weeks of Spring Training. Meanwhile, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow reiterated to Alex Speier his desire to secure Crochet long-term and expressed confidence that ownership would provide the necessary financial backing to finalize a deal.
“When there is an opportunity that makes sense for the Red Sox, we have the support of ownership,” Breslow said, as relayed by Speier. “…I think if there are opportunities to keep players that we identify as cornerstones of a run of success in a Red Sox uniform, that will be greeted with the same enthusiasm.”
It’s no surprise that the Red Sox front office—and ownership—would be willing to go the extra mile to keep Crochet long-term. The club paid a steep price to acquire him at the Winter Meetings, parting with a significant prospect package headlined by top-100 talents Kyle Teel and Braden Montgomery.
On top of that, Crochet’s performance in 2024 speaks for itself, as he posted a 3.58 ERA and 2.69 FIP across 32 starts in his first full season as a big-league starter.
Given his raw talent and youth, the 25-year-old southpaw is well-positioned to land a lucrative contract in free agency—provided he remains healthy and effective over the next two seasons.
That caveat is particularly relevant for Crochet, considering the increasing frequency of season-ending surgeries for pitchers. His 146 innings last year were nearly triple his previous career high in the majors and far exceeded the 65-inning workload he maxed out at in college.
With injuries sidelining him for much of the early part of his career, the Red Sox may have some hesitation about offering a long-term extension.
However, finances are unlikely to be a roadblock. Even after signing Alex Bregman to a massive three-year deal last month, Boston’s projected 2025 payroll sits at $210 million, per RosterResource—higher than recent years but still below their 2022 spending and well short of the $242 million they shelled out in 2019.
Given those factors, waiting until after the 2025 season could ultimately benefit both sides. If Crochet delivers another strong year, he’ll have a better case for the kind of massive extension he’s eyeing, while the Red Sox would gain more confidence in his durability before committing to a long-term deal that could extend into his mid-to-late 30s.
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