Shortly after acquiring the pitcher, the Boston Red Sox made it clear they want to lock him up for the long haul. The team traded four top prospects for the left-handed hurler, who had already indicated he was open to signing an extension—no matter where he ended up after leaving the Chicago White Sox. To extract the most value from the deal, Boston must act fast and secure him with a new, long-term contract.
Despite the struggles his former team in Chicago experienced last season, Crochet distinguished himself as a starter by displaying elite talent and impressive velocity. The former reliever posted a 3.58 ERA with 209 strikeouts over 146 innings, ranking in the 92nd percentile for fastball speed and the 98th percentile for strikeout rate in 2024. His value is only climbing higher, bolstered by standout spring training in the Grapefruit League, where he went three outings without giving up a run and struck out 14 batters in just 6.1 innings.
Fully aware of his rising stock, the 25-year-old has made it clear he won’t be entertaining extension talks once the regular season begins. Speaking with Alex Speier of The Boston Globe, he stressed his focus on the season ahead: “Once the season starts, I’d prefer that any current contract discussions be put on hold until next offseason. We have a big season coming up, and we’re working on some special things. I don’t want to be a distraction for the team or be sidetracked by media questions.”
With Opening Day set for March 27, the Red Sox now have only a few weeks to reach an agreement before Crochet’s market value potentially skyrockets. If they fail to sign him now, Boston’s chances of re-signing him later could be severely diminished.
This urgency is amplified by Boston’s recent aggressive moves in the offseason—their biggest investments in six years, which included surpassing the luxury tax by signing Alex Bregman and chasing after Juan Soto. Historically, the Red Sox haven’t spent as aggressively on pitching. If Crochet continues to perform at an elite level, maintaining his 12.9 strikeouts per nine innings over 30 starts, Boston may struggle to meet his future asking price.
Moreover, if top prospects like Kyle Teel, Braden Montgomery, Chase Meidroth, and Wikelman González develop as expected but the team loses Crochet, the trade could ultimately be seen as a major misstep. To justify the deal, the Red Sox need either a deep playoff run powered by Crochet’s performance or a long-term extension that locks him in at a reasonable cost. Otherwise, they risk missing their best chance to secure a rising star in their pitching rotation.
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