The Red Sox and ace lefty Garrett Crochet were unable to reach a long-term agreement before his self-imposed bargaining deadline on Opening Day. Four days later, they have reached an agreement.
Boston has signed to a six-year, $170 million contract deal with Crochet that will cover the 2026-2031 seasons and include an opt-out after 2030, a source told MassLive on Monday night. The contract was first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
The contract, which is the largest for a pitcher with Crochet’s service time (4-5 years), fulfills a major priority for the Red Sox, who gave up four prospects (Kyle Teel, Braden Montgomery, Chase Meidroth, and Wikelman Gonzalez) in a blockbuster trade with the White Sox last December. It grants them ownership of Crochet for at least five seasons following 2025. The team has not disclosed the deal, which has an average annual value of $28.33 million and begins next year.
According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, Crochet’s contract includes escalators (up to $2 million each season) from 2027 to 2031 based on his Cy Young finish.
Crochet, a 2024 American League All-Star who had a 3.58 ERA in 146 innings in his first season as a starter with Chicago, came to the Red Sox with only two years of control. Since January, the parties have gone back and forth on a prospective long-term agreement that, at times, appeared unlikely to materialize. Crochet stated frequently during spring training that he does not want to negotiate after Opening Day. Things seemed bad a week before Thursday’s opening, as Crochet admitted during an appearance on the “Play Tessie” podcast, when he claimed he wasn’t “thinking there’s much possibility” of getting a deal done. On Thursday in Texas, Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow appeared to be in the same mindset.
“Right now, Garrett is preparing to throw the first pitch of the 2025 season.” “I think he has been outspoken about wanting to put conversations aside and focus on the season,” Breslow said at Globe Life Field. “We absolutely want to respect that and we’re super excited about what he’s gonna do for us.”
Nonetheless, negotiations proceeded, and the sides reached a major agreement five games into the season. Crochet made his Red Sox debut on Opening Day, giving up two runs on five hits and striking out four batters. He will pitch again Wednesday in Baltimore.
Crochet, who turns 26 in June, will continue to earn $3.8 million in 2025, as previously negotiated with the Red Sox. Boston’s competitive balance tax (CBT) figure for this season will be unaffected. The agreement buys out one arbitration year (2026) and four or five free agency seasons, depending on the opt-out. Crochet will still be able to opt out in quest of a big contract on the free agent market following the 2030 season, when he turns 31.
Crochet (through 2030), Brayan Bello (through 2029 with a 2030 option), Kutter Crawford (through 2028), and Tanner Houck (through 2027) are now under contract for at least three more seasons, giving the Red Sox the nucleus of their starting rotation for years to come. Boston, which signed Bello and center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela to long-term contracts during spring training last year, is still working to finalize deals with younger players and could have more news shortly.As MassLive reported over the weekend, the Red Sox are also in talks with youngster Kristian Campbell about a long-term extension; at this point, sources say an agreement is highly likely.
