Red Sox Broker $2.75M Deal With Forgotten Starting Rotation Candidate

How much runway will this righty get in 2026?

Sep 10, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Kutter Crawford (50) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images | Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox have arbitration candidates to worry about this week, and they took care of one of the five on Tuesday.

Starting pitcher Kutter Crawford, who was unable to pitch this season due to knee and wrist injuries, is expected to be ready for opening day this year. And it wasn't hard to find an arbitration figure for the 29-year-old, considering his inability to throw a pitch last year.

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The Red Sox announced on X that they had agreed to a one-year deal with Crawford to avoid arbitration. According to Chris Cotillo of MassLive, the salary the two sides agreed to was $2.75 million, the same amount he made on the injured list this past season.

Kutter Crawford's new deal, plus Red Sox's remaining business

Crawford is still under team control through the end of the 2028 season, as he qualified for "super two" status last year. Taking care of business this far in advance allows him to continue ramping up for spring training without an extra variable hanging over his head.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox still have first baseman Triston Casas, infielder Romy Gonzalez, and starting pitchers Tanner Houck and Johan Oviedo eligible for arbitration. If deals are not reached by Thursday, the Red Sox have a rule against working out one-year deals after the deadline, though there is an obvious loophole.

Last year, when the Red Sox and Jarren Duran missed the deadline to avoid arbitration, they worked out what was technically a multi-year extension by tacking on an $8 million club option for 2026, which was declined. This year, Duran quickly agreed to a one-year, $7.75 million salary in November.

Crawford may be something of a forgotten man in the Red Sox's rotation picture, with the additions of Sonny Gray and Oviedo and the youth movement of Connelly Early and Payton Tolle overshadowing him. The same can be said of Patrick Sandoval, who the Red Sox signed last year, only to sit out the full season while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

There will be stiff competition for spots, but Crawford, who led the Red Sox in innings and strikeouts in 2024, should be firmly in the mix.

More MLB: Red Sox's Asking Price For Jarren Duran Revealed By Royals Insider