The Red Sox locked up Garrett Crochet on March 31, giving the left-hander the largest extension for a pre-arbitration pitcher in his fifth MLB year. It comes after a strong start on Opening Day and a strong record of success, dating back to the start of 2024.
A Look at Crochet
The Red Sox got their likely future ace this past December when Boston acquired Garrett Crochet from the White Sox. Crochet landed in Boston after a transformative 2024 campaign, one that saw him break out a newly minted cutter, finally move into the rotation, and become the ace some hoped he would become five years ago when the White Sox drafted him.
However, how Crochet got there was interesting. There were rumors about Crochet wanting an extension with whichever team acquired him. Plus, assurances he would be a starter. The White Sox punted on potentially trading him in the summer and pulled the trigger in December.
That cutter has turned into his ace pitch. During his first start with Boston against the Rangers, Crochet’s cutter was used 49% of the time and has hard arm-side movement, 2.5” more than the league average per Statcast.
It’s a pitch that Crochet will use in several different ways. He can run it in the zone, or back-door it — and Crochet did that often on Opening Day.
The rest of his arsenal includes a high-90s fastball that has separation from the cutter, a sweeper, and a sinker he used more often (8%) in his last start.
Crochet gave up two runs over five innings, a strong start that followed out what was an incredible 2024 campaign. The left-hander struck out 209 batters over 146 innings and represented the White Sox at the All-Star Game.
Between 2024-25, Crochet has induced 436 total whiffs, good for tenth most in the Majors in that time. But, that number doesn’t tell the whole story.
| Rank | Name | # of Whiffs | IP | Whiff/Out |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dylan Cease | 510 | 193.2 | 0.88 |
| 2 | Logan Gilbert | 501 | 215.2 | 0.77 |
| 3 | Cole Ragans | 498 | 191.1 | 0.87 |
| 4 | Tarik Skubal | 482 | 197 | 0.82 |
| 5 | Carlos Rodon | 474 | 180.1 | 0.88 |
| 6 | Freddy Peralta | 461 | 178.2 | 0.86 |
| 7 | Zack Wheeler | 454 | 206 | 0.73 |
| 8 | MacKenzie Gore | 452 | 172.1 | 0.87 |
| 9 | Chris Sale | 442 | 182.2 | 0.81 |
| 10 | Garrett Crochet | 436 | 151 | 0.96 |
| 11 | Shota Imanaga | 435 | 184.1 | 0.79 |
| 12 | Pablo Lopez | 429 | 190.1 | 0.75 |
| 13 | Yusei Kikuchi | 422 | 181.2 | 0.77 |
| 14 | Corbin Burnes | 419 | 194.1 | 0.72 |
| 15 | Bailey Ober | 413 | 181.1 | 0.76 |
Crochet had easily the highest whiff/out among the top 15 in that span, thanks in large part to the White Sox significantly restricting his workload over the second half. The left-hander didn’t make a start longer than four innings from July onward last year.
Per reports, Garrett Crochet’s six-year, $170MM extension will begin during the 2026 season. It includes up to $2MM in escalators he can receive per year from 2027-31 and an opt-out after the 2030 campaign.
Analysis
Between 2019-25, there’s only one true comparable to Crochet’s extension: Jacob deGrom. deGrom signed a five-year, $137.5MM extension in 2019 in what was his fifth full season in the Majors. Crochet’s also in his fifth full season, even though he lost time thanks to the aforementioned elbow surgery recovery.
The accolades & numbers between the two aren’t exactly comparable:
- Crochet (2020-24): 9 W, 3.29 ERA, 294 K over 219 IP (12.1 K/9), 128 ERA+
- deGrom (2014-18): 55 W, 2.67 ERA, 1,000 K over 897.2 IP (10.0 K/9), 144 ERA+ (1 Cy Young, 1 ROY)
Markets change. though. But to be honest, neither situation is comparable. deGrom was 30 when he signed his deal. Crochet, at this moment, is 25. He would have been able to enter free agency at the end of his age-26 season, far younger than the available pitchers in this past winter’s market.
Corbin Burnes ($35MM) entered after his age-29 season. Max Fried ($27.25MM) entered after his age-30 season. Blake Snell ($36.4MM AAV), in his second go-around, just came off his age-31 season. Crochet ($28.33MM), who doesn’t have a Cy Young to his name unlike Burnes or Fried, fits in the middle.
Any team, in a hypothetical situation, that would have been after Crochet after next season would likely have been ecstatic at not just getting a premium ace but one with few innings thrown and plenty of theoretical mileage left.
And when considering that Crochet is among the likes of Pablo Lopez, who got a four-year, $73.5MM extension in his fifth full season at age 27 and was one of the best bargain deals of the decade, and Burnes, who got a massive six-year deal this winter, Crochet’s deal might look really good if he can hold up.
Check out more of our MLB coverage.