The Boston Red Sox and ace left-handed starter Garrett Crochet have agreed to a six-year contract extension, the team announced Tuesday. The contract is worth $170 million and begins with the 2026 season, including a player opt-out after the 2030 season, which will be Crochet’s age-31 campaign. The deal includes no deferred money and is the largest ever for a pitcher with between four and five years of MLB service time.
Here is the contract structure via the Boston Globe:
- $4 million signing bonus
- 2026: $24 million salary
- 2027-30: $28 million salary per year
- 2031: $30 million salary
- 2032: $15 million conditional club option
The Red Sox gain access to the 2032 club option if Crochet spends at least 120 consecutive days on the injured list with an arm injury. If that injury occurs between 2026 and 2030, Crochet loses the ability to opt out after 2030. The Red Sox had a similar clause in their contract with John Lackey years ago. They gained a league minimum club option for the 2015 season if Lackey missed time with an elbow injury, which he did when he had Tommy John surgery in 2012. The Red Sox traded Lackey to the St. Louis Cardinals at the 2014 deadline and St. Louis picked up the league minimum option after the season.
Boston acquired Crochet, 25, as the centerpiece of a five-player trade with the Chicago White Sox in December. Boston made the major acquisition after Crochet enjoyed a standout season in 2024. In his first season since converting from reliever to starter, Crochet for Chicago pitched to a 3.58 ERA and a 2.23 FIP with 209 strikeouts against 33 unintentional walks in 146 innings en route to earning his first All-Star selection. Prior to that, Crochet had worked exclusively out of the bullpen since the White Sox took him with the No. 11 overall pick in 2020 out of the University of Tennessee.
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From the club standpoint, there’s risk involved given Crochet’s brief track record as a starter and his spotty injury history. However, there’s no doubting the stuff, the velocity, or the dominance he’s flashed thus far as a member of a big-league rotation.
Crochet, who in his first and only start for the Red Sox this season allowed two runs in five innings against the Texas Rangers, had been slated for free agency after the 2026 season. As such, this deal buys out a minimum of four free-agent years.
Crochet will be a vital presence at the front of the rotation as Boston emerges from a period of rebuilding and payroll disinvestment. Without question, they have the mid-career pieces, young talent in place and on the way, and spending capacity to contend for many seasons to come.
The Boston club is currently in discussions with promising young talent Kristian Campbell regarding a potential long-term deal. This move, along with Crochet’s extension, may indicate that more changes are on the horizon for the team. Stay tuned for updates on these exciting developments.