Garrett Crochet doesn’t sound particularly eager to sign extension with Red Sox
Garrett Crochet is locked in as the Boston Red Sox’ new ace – for 2025. Probably 2026, too.
Beyond that? It seems we’re a ways away from locking anything in.
That’s based on Crochet’s own comments to reporters at Red Sox spring training in Fort Myers, where he discussed the possibility of a contract extension with Boston. President Sam Kennedy recently expressed optimism that talks with Crochet would ‘heat up’ as they get ready for the season.
Crochet? He basically said, if you read between the lines, that he’s going to let 2025 play out before signing anything.
“There’s always pros and cons to everything,” Crochet said, via Chris Cotillo of MassLive. “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.
“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.”
Ahh boy.
That means, for sure, that the Red Sox haven’t exactly knocked Crochet’s sox off with a contract offer just yet. The two sides avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $3.8 million deal, and Crochet will be arbitration-eligible again in 2026. He’s set to hit free agency after next season.
And while Crochet’s comments don’t necessarily mean he intends to explore the open market, they strongly imply that he’s willing to bet on himself going into 2025 and even 2026, as he tries to pitch his way to the best possible contract. It’s got to be at least slightly concerning for the folks at Fenway that Crochet not only isn’t dead-set on staying with the Red Sox, but will be seeking top dollar on his next long-term contract.
The Red Sox have long needed an ace pitcher in his prime that they can build around. Crochet should fit that bill. He needs to prove he can continue to stay healthy for a full season while upping his workload; he started 32 games for the White Sox in 2024, but totaled only 146 innings. Otherwise, he certainly fits the profile of a long-term frontline starter.
In other words, if Crochet stays healthy and performs like the ace he can be, the Red Sox should pay up to keep him. Especially considering they gave up catcher Kyle Teel, one of their top prospects at the time, in order to get him.
Will Crochet headline the Red Sox rotation beyond 2026? That remains to be seen. Based on how Crochet is talking at spring training, we’re not going to see the Sox lock him up any time soon.
Matt Dolloff is a writer and digital content producer for 98.5 The Sports Hub. Read all of his articles here.
NEXT… Mazz: Initial takeaways from the Red Sox signing of Alex Bregman
