The Boston Red Sox got the frontline starting pitcher they coveted and they didn’t have to shell out a ton of money to obtain him. Well, at least not yet.
The Red Sox traded four prospects, including their last two first-round picks in Kyle Teel and Braden Montgomery, to the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday for Garrett Crochet. Crochet comes to Boston with a very favorable contract in hand as the 25-year-old is set to make around $3 million for next season and is under team control through 2026.
But if the Red Sox want to see Crochet’s tenure with Boston last more than two seasons, locking him into a long-term contract extension would be wise before he’s eligible to hit free agency. The Red Sox can start extension talks whenever they like, but Crochet said Friday that the topic isn’t on his mind at the moment in the aftermath of switching teams.
“I really haven’t had much time to give it a lot of thought,” Crochet told reporters via Zoom, per team-provided video. “For me, this time of year the main thing that I’m focused on is my training and getting ready for spring training. So, until I’m told otherwise, that’s going to be my main focus.”
MassLive’s Sean McAdam projected that an extension for Crochet would cost the Red Sox between $25 million to $30 million annually. That would be in line with what Max Fried got from the New York Yankees in free agency as he agreed earlier this week to an eight-year, $218 million deal — the richest contract in MLB history for a left-handed pitcher.
Both sides probably are hesitant at the moment to discuss an extension with Crochet and Boston in the feeling-out process after the trade. The Red Sox certainly will want to see how Crochet performs in Boston while the left-hander will want to gauge how things go, too.
Crochet has just one season of starting pitching experience under his belt. He did thrive in that role, becoming an All-Star and finishing the 2024 campaign with a 3.58 ERA, 1.068 WHIP and 209 strikeouts in 146 innings.
If Crochet builds off that and continues to excel, he will most definitely be rewarded with a lucrative payday in a couple of years, whether it’s from the Red Sox or some other team.
