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Full details of Garrett Crochet’s $170 million contract extension

Originally posted on MLB on ClutchPoints
By Russell Steinberg | Last updated Apr 1, 2025 6:46 PM ET

The Boston Red Sox wasted no time signing pitcher Garrett Crochet to an extension, agreeing with him on a $170 million contract before April of his first season in Boston.

The Red Sox acquired Crochet from the Chicago White Sox in a trade over the offseason with two more years of team control. Though he will only make $3.8 million this season, his new six-year deal kicks in next year with a $24 million salary in 2026, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

Crochet’s salary will then increase to $28 million in 2027-30 and will bump up to $30 million in 2031, the last guaranteed year of the deal.

The Red Sox will then have a $15 million club option for 2032 if Crochet spends 120 consecutive days on the Injured List between 2026 and 2031 for a left arm injury. Crochet can opt out in 2030 if that condition has not yet been satisfied.

From 2027 to 2031, Crochet will also be able to increase his base salary based on his previous season performance. It will bump up by $2 million if he wins the Cy Young Award, $1.5 million if he finishes second or third in Cy Young voting, $1 million for fourth or fifth place and $500,000 for sixth through tenth place. His salary will also increase by $2 million if he is traded.

The Red Sox see Garrett Crochet as their long-term rotation anchor

Boston Red Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet (35) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

At 25 years old, Crochet emerged last year as one of the young pitching stars in baseball. He was one of the lone bright spots for the Chicago White Sox last year, making the All-Star team by striking out nearly 13 batters per nine innings, pitching to a 3.58 ERA and boasting a WHIP of 1.068.

The contract will make Crochet one of the highest-paid Red Sox players on a long-term deal. Boston currently has star third baseman Rafael Devers locked up through 2033 at $28.5 million a year and Ceddanne Rafaela on a team-friendly deal through 2032.

Crochet’s contract, however, represents a gigantic commitment for a pitcher who has turned in only one complete season as a starter. In fact, it’s the biggest contract ever signed by a pitcher with four or more years of service time.

“My hope is that this is another step in charting the course for sustainable organizational health, vying for division titles, for World Series championships year over year,” Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said, per Ian Browne of MLB.com. “We can all get excited about the young position player talent that we have. Now we have Garrett locked up for the foreseeable future. We have a really strong rotation behind him. And we have some pitching up and coming alongside some of those position players.

This article first appeared on MLB on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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