The Boston Red Sox's trade for Garrett Crochet was one of their biggest moves in years and, arguably, the blockbuster move of the offseason, despite Juan Soto's record-breaking contract with the Mets.
The Red Sox sent four top prospects, including their catcher of the future, to the Chicago White Sox in return for Crochet to set the latter team's rebuild into full swing after a disastrous 41-121 season the year before. Last season, Crochet was vocal about his willingness to sign an extension with any team he was traded to, and Boston knows it needs to extend the young pitcher to make such a massive trade worth the risk.
On March 13, The Athletic published a story with projected contract extensions for multiple young stars and veterans on expiring contracts. Tim Britton's projected contract for Crochet is a five-year, $110 million deal, and the Red Sox should take that deal and run with it.
Crochet is just 25 years old and has mountains of upside. The reliever-turned-starter shocked baseball fans with his blistering velocity and strikeout stuff in the White Sox's rotation and he became a top trade deadline candidate for teams in the race. No one met Chicago's asking price during the season, though, and Boston landed Crochet with its top-tier farm system just months later.
Red Sox should jump at the chance to sign Garrett Crochet to deal projected by The Athletic
The deal Britton suggests for Crochet would be an ideal scenario for both parties. A $110 million deal would net Crochet $22 million in average annual value, and he would become a free agent again just before his age-31 season, which leaves plenty of mileage on his arm to get another mega deal for the rest of his career, should his performance in Boston allow it.
Crochet posted a 3.58 ERA with 209 strikeouts and 33 walks over 146 innings in his first season as a starter. The lefty clocked a staggering 12.9 strikeouts per nine innings and 98th-percentile strikeout percentage. His success has carried into spring training with the Red Sox, and he's clocked 14 strikeouts and five walks in 6.1 innings without letting up a run.
Garrett Crochet struck out SEVEN batters across three scoreless innings of work 🐷 #SpringTraining pic.twitter.com/3mh6YkWyjl
— MLB (@MLB) March 5, 2025
Crochet immediately became Boston's ace after it traded for him, and signing him long-term will be critical to the success of the trade. The Red Sox didn't give up four top prospects for their return to walk for nothing two years later, and if they hope to sign him for as little money as possible, they need to move quickly.
Despite Crochet's openness to signing an extension, he said he will not continue negotiations after Opening Day. If he posts another season as good as his last one, his value will increase and the Sox's odds of signing him to an extension will decrease, as they've expressed reluctance to sign pitchers to long-term deals.
The Red Sox have just over two weeks to sign Crochet to an extension before his value increases in 2025, and it may be their best chance to secure the deal Britton suggests. Hopefully, Boston and Crochet can agree on a deal before Opening Day, but that seems less likely as the days pass.