The Boston Red Sox received a significant contract development involving starter Garrett Crochet on Sunday, stemming from his extended time on the injured list this season.
Crochet, a two-time All-Star, has managed only six starts totaling 30 innings with a 6.30 ERA in 2026. The rest of the pitching staff has helped stabilize the rotation during his absence, but the latest news centers on a specific provision in his deal with the club.
According to MLB.com’s Theo DeRosa, Crochet’s contract included language stating that 120 or more consecutive days on the injured list would add a club option for the 2032 season. That mark was officially reached Sunday.
“Sunday marked Crochet’s 120th consecutive day on the injured list, triggering a key clause in his extension with the Red Sox,” DeRosa wrote. “Crochet can no longer opt out of his contract after the 2030 season, and a $15 million club option for the 2032 season has been added to his deal.”
As a result, Crochet is locked in for the full length of his six-year, $170 million agreement. He is set to earn $30 million in 2031, followed by the new $15 million club option the following year.
That option figure would represent solid value for the Red Sox if Crochet regains his previous form and stays healthy. His most recent outing came April 25, after which shoulder inflammation and a lat strain sidelined him.
Crochet has begun a gradual return process, working up to throws of 90 feet with some intensity. Team officials have indicated that any late-season appearance would likely come from the bullpen rather than as a starter, which could ease the demands of his buildup.
The left-hander was selected by the Chicago White Sox in the first round of the 2020 draft out of the University of Tennessee. He made his major league debut that same year as a reliever.
Over his first three seasons in Chicago, Crochet appeared in 72 games out of the bullpen before transitioning to a starting role. In 2024 he started 32 games, posted a 3.58 ERA and earned an All-Star selection.
Following that campaign the White Sox traded him to Boston in exchange for a package of prospects. The next year Crochet lowered his ERA to 2.59 and finished second in American League Cy Young Award voting.
Those performances elevated him among the game’s top pitchers, making the struggles of 2026 especially frustrating for both the player and the organization. Crochet addressed the possibility of the contract clause taking effect during comments in July.
“It sucks, but I mean, what’s the worst thing that happens?” Crochet said. “I’m in Boston for another year? Which is pretty good. This is a place that I wanted to be. That was a clause that was kind of helping the team mitigate the risk, I suppose. And they knew that there was risk. I knew that there was risk. Last year, it’s like, am I outperforming [his salary]? Or does it matter? And now I get hurt, and it’s like, I’m glad that I secured the protection.
“What I felt when I signed the contract was that I wanted to outperform the deal. So it sucks, but there’s still time.”
With the opt-out no longer available, the Red Sox now control Crochet through at least the 2032 season and appear likely to exercise the club option. Should he return to peak performance, Boston’s rotation outlook for the coming years would strengthen considerably.
The development provides the club with additional long-term security around a pitcher who has shown ace-level potential when healthy. Fans and team officials alike will continue monitoring his progress as the regular season winds down and postseason hopes remain in play.
