This little piggy will not be going to market! Instead, he’ll be staying in his new home!
BREAKING: Left-hander Garrett Crochet and the Boston Red Sox are in agreement on a six-year, $170 million contract extension, sources tell ESPN. The deal starts in 2026 and includes an opt-out after 2030. By far the largest deal ever for a pitcher with 4+ years of service.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) April 1, 2025
With this, the offseason now feels fully complete. The Red Sox didn’t just bet on Crochet with prospects (four of the top 15 in their system went to Chicago last December), they’ve now also bet on him with cold, hard cash!
When you combine the prospect haul and the financial capital they just put on the table, it’s one of the largest gambles the Sox have made on any one guy in quite some time, but it does follow a familiar formula. Just add up the main factors at play:
1) In trading Kyle Teel, Braden Montgomery, Chase Meidroth and Wikelman Gonzalez, the Red Sox gave up what could potentially amount to 24 years of team control (six years for each player if they all make and stay in the majors).
2) With this extension, John Henry and the front office made their largest financial commitment to a pitcher so far this decade. It’s the first time they’ve committed to an arm like this since the Chris Sale and David Price contracts, something they’ve been petrified to do for years.
3) The young nucleus building on the position player side of things is approaching its critical moment: Kristian Campbell just made his debut, and Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony will each be up soon. This means they’re all controlled through at least the 2030 season. Jarren Duran and Triston Casas are both under team control through 2028, and Ceddanne Rafaela through 2031.
Knowing this, the Red Sox desperately needed a true ace at the top of their rotation to pair with with this core. Crochet is the fine wine you need to go with a prime cut of meat. Leaving out either would ruin the meal. But now, with this extension, the table is set for an experience that should last at least half dozen years. Welcome to a new era of Red Sox baseball!
Photo by David L Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
Despite the fresh contract and the critical timing, it should also feel quite familiar to longtime Sox fans. With Pedro Martinez, the Red Sox made a trade and extended him. With Curt Schilling, the Red Sox made a trade and extended him. With Josh Beckett, the Red Sox made a trade and later extended him. With Chris Sale, the Red Sox made a trade and later extended him. With Garrett Crochet, the Red Sox made a trade and have now extended him. When you stink at developing your own pitching, this is the game you have to play, and until recently, the Red Sox have actually played it pretty well.
So for better or worse, Crochet is the guy the Sox are betting on to lead the rotation until further notice. For better or worse, this is the arm they’re banking on to get the most out of the rapidly approaching Kristian Campbell / Marcelo Mayer / Roman Anthony era. For better or worse, this is the guy they’re relying on to get the team to about 22-10 in his starts every year so they only have to go .500 in the other games to make the playoffs. And for better or worse, this is the arm they plan to hand the ball to in Game 1 of a postseason series.
While we don’t know if he’s the right guy for all of that yet, what we do know is the Red Sox made the type of gamble they haven’t been willing to make in a long, long time. This is what big players do at the featured poker table. They find a hand they like, they throw their money down, intimidate their opponents, put themselves in a position to win, and then let the thrill of the cards take over.
Last night, the Red Sox let everybody know they’re seated at the high rollers table once again, and while that comes with big risk and the potential for disaster, it also comes with the exhilarating chase. After going so long without it, it feels almost cathartic to have it back.