Garrett Crochet didn’t waste any time showing the Boston Red Sox why they were right to bet big on him. Just two days after inking a six-year, $170 million extension, the 25-year-old left-hander delivered the best start of his young career, tossing eight shutout innings in a 3-0 victory 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.
His dominance backed up Boston’s decision to lock him up through 2031, and manager Alex Cora didn’t shy away from praising the front office’s commitment to its new ace.
“That’s the reason he’s here. That’s the reason we committed to him,” Cora said.
“That’s the reason he’s here. That’s the reason we committed to him.”
Alex Cora on Garrett Crochet’s stellar outing
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The Red Sox acquired Crochet in a blockbuster December trade with the White Sox, sending away top prospects Kyle Teel and Braden Montgomery to land a high-upside arm with frontline potential. Despite limited time as a starter in the big leagues, the Red Sox were confident enough in both his talent and work ethic to make Crochet the second-highest-paid starting pitcher in club history — trailing only David Price’s $217 million deal.
The Red Sox’ extension of Garrett Crochet seems to be paying off so far
Crochet, who entered the year with just 146 career innings as a starter due to prior injuries and bullpen usage, said the decision to stay in Boston came quickly.
“Going back to when the trade went through, we knew Boston was a place where we would love to be long term,” he told reporters. “Credit to the front office for staying diligent, and my agency as well.”
In a tweet by MassLive’s Christopher Smith, Crochet revealed just how close the deal came to not happening before Opening Day: “Crochet had set an Opening Day deadline for extension talks. But the sides were close enough he was willing to extend it. He said it was so close ‘You could smell it.’”
Boston’s front office, led by chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, recognized the rare opportunity to secure a 25-year-old ace with elite strikeout stuff. Crochet’s 2024 numbers — including an MLB-best 35.1% strikeout rate among starters — rivaled 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 win over Baltimore also featured encouraging signs elsewhere for Boston. Young infielder Kristian Campbell, who signed his own eight-year, $60 million deal Wednesday, doubled twice. Rafael Devers broke out of an 0-for-21 slump to start the season with an RBI double and added another hit later in the game. But the night belonged to Crochet — both as a pitcher and a statement.
“I can’t think of the last time I played baseball for pride,” Crochet said. “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.”
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