Red Sox CBO Craig Breslow Breaks Silence On $170 Million Garrett Crochet Decision

The front office is getting things done nowadays...

Dec 9, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow speaks with the media at the Hilton Anatole during the 2024 MLB Winter Meetings. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The news of left-handed pitcher Garrett Crochet's extension with the Boston Red Sox has been the pleasant surprise of the week for fans across New England.

On Monday night, the Red Sox and Crochet agreed to a six-year, $170 million extension that begins in 2026 and includes a player option for 2031. Boston now has its ace locked up for what should be the best years of his career.

Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow had a tough call to make when he parted with four top prospects to land Crochet in a December trade with the Chicago White Sox. Giving up that much capital for a player makes it obvious you believe in him to be good for a long time, so extending Crochet beyond the two years he was initially slated to be in Boston was of the utmost importance.

On Tuesday, Breslow spoke about the decision to extend Crochet for the first time during an appearance on NESN's 310 to Left podcast.

"I think more than some of the obvious stuff, it was how much swing and miss he was able to generate, the consistency of the stuff throughout the season," Breslow said. "At 25 years old, we feel like his prime is still in front of him, and so he was someone we were very interested in securing and making a long-term commitment to."

Breslow also made sure to highlight the Red Sox ownership group's role in the signing, as the team's lack of spending prior to this past winter had become a hot topic in recent years.

"Any time the Red Sox have been in a position to contend, this ownership group... have supported aggressive moves to ensure that the window of contention was as wide open as it could possibly be... I think this is another piece of evidence toward that."

All in all, the last four months have been a vindication for Breslow in his early tenure as the CBO. Every exec needs to prove they can make the big move, and the Crochet trade now feels complete. Now, the team Breslow has helped put on the field has to start winning some games.

More MLB: Will Garrett Crochet Leave Red Sox In 2030? Full $170 Million Contract Details