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Alex Cora Calls Out Garrett Crochet, Red Sox Rotation Amid Tough Stretch

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jon Conahan | Last updated May 22, 2025 1:05 PM ET

The Boston Red Sox rotation hasn't been great. When they entered the season, the expectation was for their starting rotation to be one of the better units in Major League Baseball.

Instead, the Red Sox have been derailed by injuries, and some of their top arms aren't throwing the baseball the way they were expected to.

That even includes Garrett Crochet. While the left-handed starter has been excellent, carrying this Red Sox rotation with a 2.00 ERA and an outstanding 73 strikeouts in 63.0 innings, skipper Alex Cora challenged him to be better. He added that everybody in the rotation needs to improve, and when they do, the Red Sox will be a much better team.

"They need to step up," Cora said, according to Newsweek. "That's the bottom line. We have to step up as a rotation. It's not only Garrett. It's everybody. We have to do a better job as a group."

Unfortunately, it isn't as easy as it might sound.

Boston currently rank in the bottom half in starter ERA in MLB, which will have to be fixed by either getting healthy or making a trade at the deadline.

With where the Red Sox currently stand, playing .500 ball, there's a chance they could look to trade for a starter at the deadline. However, it's also important to note that the Red Sox are expected to have a few more arms back in their rotation sometime in the next few months, including Patrick Sandoval.

Still, if a starter becomes available, it would make sense to give them a chance at this point.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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