Red Sox's Garrett Crochet Breaks Silence On $170M Extension After Dominating Orioles

The lefty appears ecstatic to remain in Boston long-term

Apr 2, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet (35) throws during the second inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Deadlines are sometimes meant to be ignored, and Garrett Crochet was meant to pitch for the Boston Red Sox for a long, long time.

After arriving via trade this winter, Crochet was tabbed to become the Red Sox's new ace. But because he was only under team control for two more seasons, it was imperative for Boston to sign him to a long-term contract extension.

For a moment, it appeared those talks would be tabled until at least October. Crochet had set an Opening Day deadline for a potential extension, after which point he wanted to shift his focus solely to pitching for his new team.

However, it became clear that the two sides were so close to a deal by Opening Day that Crochet gave his representation the green light to push things across the finish line, which is what happened on Monday night, when Boston and Crochet agreed to a six-year, $170 million extension.

Wednesday was a celebratory day, as Crochet pitched eight shutout innings against the Baltimore Orioles in his first start since the extension. And after the game, he spoke publicly for the first time about the decision to tie himself to the Red Sox through at least 2030.

"We knew Boston was a place where we would love to be long-term,” Crochet said, per Christopher Smith of MassLive. “Credit to the front office for staying diligent and my agency as well. There was really good dialogue leading up to Opening Day, which kind of led us to the point where we felt like pushing past the deadline was the right call.”

Crochet picked up his first win in a Red Sox uniform on Wednesday, snapping the Red Sox's four-game losing streak. So how appropriate it was to hear him describe how the long-term financial security allows him to concentrate on just that--winning--for the next six years.

“In college you’re playing to get drafted,” Crochet said. “And once you’re in the big leagues, you’re playing to stay in the big leagues. So to have the security ... I’m playing to truly just win ball games.”

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