Garrett Crochet wasted no time in demonstrating to the Boston Red Sox why they had made a wise investment in him. Just two days after signing a six-year, $170 million contract extension, the 25-year-old left-hander had the best start of his young career, pitching eight shutout innings in a 3-0 win over the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park on Wednesday night. He allowed just four hits, walked one, and struck out eight on 102 pitches — one shy of his career high.
“My first start in college I went eight, and I haven’t sniffed it since,” Crochet said after the game, smiling.
Boston’s decision to sign him through 2031 was based on his domination, and manager Alex Cora praised the front office’s dedication to him. “That’s the reason he’s here. That’s the reason we committed to him,” Cora said.
Crochet was acquired by the Red Sox in a December blockbuster trade with the White Sox, in exchange for prized prospects Kyle Teel and Braden Montgomery. Despite Crochet’s short experience as a starter in the major leagues, the Red Sox were confident enough in his talent and work ethic to make him the second-highest-paid starting pitcher in team history, trailing only David Price’s $217 million contract.
The Red Sox’ extension of Garrett Crochet seems to be paying off so far
Crochet, who entered the season with only 146 career innings as a starter due to previous ailments and bullpen usage, said the choice to stay in Boston was quick.
“Going back to when the trade went through, we knew Boston was a place where we would love to be long term,” he shared with reporters. “Credit to the front office for staying diligent, and my agency as well.”
In a tweet by MassLive’s Christopher Smith, Crochet revealed how close the transaction was to not happening before Opening Day: “Crochet had set an opening-day deadline for extension talks. But the sides were close enough that he was willing to extend them. He said it was so close, you could smell it.”
Boston’s front team, led by chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, saw a unique opportunity to acquire a 25-year-old pitcher with outstanding strikeout ability. Crochet’s 2024 figures, which included an MLB-best 35.1% strikeout rate among starters, matched those of Cy Young winners Tarik Skubal and Chris Sale, and he was one of the few bright spots on a 121-loss White Sox team.
“There’s always risk associated with these types of contracts,” Breslow said earlier this week. “But we believe Garrett’s best days are ahead of him.”
The victory over Baltimore also provided promising indicators for Boston. Kristian Campbell, a young infielder who inked his own eight-year, $60 million contract Wednesday, doubled twice. Rafael Devers broke out of his 0-for-21 slump to begin the season with an RBI double and added another later in the game. Crochet, however, dominated the night as both a pitcher and a statement maker.
“I can’t think of the last time I played baseball for pride,” she remarked. “So to have this security and feel like I’m playing to truly just win ballgames, it takes a lot of the riff-raff out of it.”
