The Boston Red Sox made arguably the biggest trade of the Major League Baseball winter so far. But the work doesn’t end there.
Garrett Crochet is projected to be the Red Sox’s Opening Day starter after arriving in a massive trade with the Chicago White Sox. He will still be just 25 at the time, and he’s coming off a season where he struck out a ridiculous 12.9 batters per nine innings.
The 2024 All-Star is under team control for two more seasons. But the Red Sox didn’t give up four top prospects, including two of the top five in their organization, for two years of Crochet. They clearly plan to work out an extension.
Chris Cotillo of MassLive thinks that extension will happen sooner rather than later. Cotillo predicted in a recent column that Crochet and the Red Sox would work out a new deal by Opening Day this March.
“The Red Sox acquired Crochet with the full intention of trying to sign him past 2026, when he’s under team control,” Cotillo wrote. “Expect them to make every effort to get something done either before or during spring training.
“Crochet, with his medical history and unique past, seems like someone who’s amenable to a fair deal. There’s a path to getting something done fast here.”
Crochet is set to make just under $3 million according to Spotrac’s arbitration projection. The same site projects his market value at six years, $131 million, which would hypothetically begin after the 2026 season.
If the Red Sox can work out something in the range of $160 million over the next eight years, they’ll be glad they did so. Peace of mind can help everyone perform better, and Crochet needs to know that his new organization believes he can be their ace for a long time.
