After coming out of the offseason with a roster loaded with talent, the Boston Red Sox are in a precarious situation.
Recent developments threaten the potential for the Sox to succeed this year and in the long-term. The position battle for third base could be worrisome for keeping both Rafael Devers and Alex Bregman healthy and eager to stay in Boston. Garrett Crochet’s latest reminder of his contract extension demands also needs to be addressed sooner rather than later.
Crochet has never hidden his desire for a contract extension. Before last year’s trade deadline, the lefty requested an extension from any team that traded for him, throwing a wrench in Chicago’s plans to deal him during its historically bad season. Crochet recently revealed in an interview on the "Baseball Isn’t Boring" podcast that his rationale for asking for an extension was to establish himself as a starting pitcher, not a “high-end reliever.”
“I don’t owe a team that I’m not on anything… it’s like I’m finally healthy and it’s like, you know, what about a team that’s making a playoff push that has no intentions of ever extending me. … If I go down on this playoff push, well now I’m just by the wayside,” he said.
Morning podcast: Garrett Crochet talks about the past, present and future ... including clarifying his contract stance leading into last season's trade deadline.
— Baseball Isn’t Boring (@BBisntBoring) March 3, 2025
Listen: https://t.co/qYEnEI4VnF https://t.co/uRFnLpkjwh pic.twitter.com/3HdMFOuKCg
Although it was surprising at the time to White Sox general manager Chris Getz, Crochet’s wish for a contract extension isn’t surprising. Besides a fair paycheck, all players want to play for a team that values their contributions. Crochet’s ask is not unheard of, but he’s one of the few players to verbalize it. He knows his worth and wants to put himself in a position to win. No one can argue against that.
Surprisingly, Boston hasn’t extended Crochet yet, especially after he made his demands clear. The Red Sox avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $3.8 million contract for 2025, but they will repeat the dance next year for his final year of arbitration unless they extend him. Keeping him on bargain contracts while refusing to extend him after he pitched 146 innings with a 3.58 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and 209 strikeouts would be insulting. Boston also traded four top prospects for Crochet, including Kyle Teel, who was billed as the team's catcher of the future. It needs to extend Crochet early to get the best possible price for him to make the trade worth it for both sides.
The Red Sox are on borrowed time to win a World Series with a roster built on short contracts, and they have even less time to extend Crochet. Crochet's importance to the team skyrockets with a possible rotation transformation looming in 2027 when Lucas Giolito, Patrick Sandoval, and Walker Buehler become unrestricted free agents. If Boston doesn’t invest in Crochet's career, its ability to build a winning dynasty may crumble.