The Boston Red Sox and ace left-handed starter Garrett Crochet have agreed to a six-year, $170 million contract extension, ESPN reports. The deal begins with the 2026 season and includes a player opt-out after the 2030 season, which will be Crochet’s age-31 campaign. Jeff Passan adds that the deal includes no deferred money and is the largest ever for a pitcher with between four and five years of MLB service time.
The Red Sox acquired Crochet, 25, as the centerpiece of a five-player trade with the Chicago White Sox in December. Boston made the major acquisition after Crochet enjoyed a standout season in 2024. In his first season since converting from reliever to starter, Crochet for Chicago pitched to a 3.58 ERA and a 2.23 FIP with 209 strikeouts against 33 unintentional walks in 146 innings en route to earning his first All-Star selection. Prior to that, Crochet had worked exclusively out of the bullpen since the White Sox took him with the No. 11 overall pick in 2020 out of the University of Tennessee.
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From the club standpoint, there’s risk involved given Crochet’s brief track record as a starter and his spotty injury history. However, there’s no doubting the stuff, the velocity, or the dominance he’s flashed thus far as a member of a big-league rotation.
Crochet, who in his first and only start for the Red Sox this season allowed two runs in five innings against the Texas Rangers, had been slated for free agency after the 2026 season. As such, this deal buys out a minimum of four free-agent years.
Crochet will be a vital presence at the front of the rotation as Boston emerges from a period of rebuilding and payroll disinvestment. Without question, they have the mid-career pieces, young talent in place and on the way, and spending capacity to contend for many seasons to come. Crochet’s extension may not be the only such move in the offing for Boston, as the club is in discussions with rising young star Kristian Campbell about a potential long-term deal.
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