When Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet was on the trade market during the 2024 season, interest in him was limited ahead of the MLB trade deadline. Crochet had been an All-Star in the first half of the season, going 6-6 with a 3.02 ERA, but had thrown 107.1 innings in 20 starts before the break. For a guy with 73.0 innings of major-league pitching in four years over his career, the wear-and-tear issue was too much.
It didn’t help that Crochet wanted an extension if he was traded. But whatever the motivation, contenders stayed away from making a deal.
It’s easy to forget that Crochet struggled in the second half of last season (0-6, 5.12), and that the White Sox capped his innings to protect him as an offseason trade asset. It was a gamble for the Red Sox to trade for Crochet, who pitched 7.0 full innings only three times in his career for the woeful White Sox.
Now, Crochet is leading the American League in innings and is on the cusp of passing the 200-inning threshold, with 197.1 innings entering Wednesday’s start. It’s a big turnaround for a guy long struggled with injuries and who was not happy with the way last year went.
Garrett Crochet Pitching the Biggest Game of his MLB Life
As Crochet told the Boston Globe this week, “Last year, I was the guy that was [taxing] the bullpen because of my workload. That kind of left a bitter taste in my mouth. I always knew how that felt, being on the opposite side, being that I was in the bullpen for a little bit. So just trying to save mileage on those guys as much as possible, so that now when we’re down the stretch, they could help us out.”
Crochet will take the mound in Toronto in what might be the most important start of his life to date, as the Red Sox are 85-71, clinging to a 1.0-game lead for the No. 2 spot in the wild-card race and a 2.0-game lead over the Astros, who would be the first to be eliminated as things stand.
He still needs to get through this start, but 200 innings is a big milestone for Crochet. “I wasn’t trying to hold myself to it, but I was kind of like, ‘Man, that would be cool to hit that mark,’ ” said Crochet. “Staring down the barrel of it, it’s cool.”
(Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images)Fans in centerfield applaud as the 12th and final “K” is put up for pitcher Garrett Crochet #35 of the Boston Red Sox during the sixth inning against the New York Yankees at Fenway Park.
Red Sox Gamble Paid Off
Crochet still has an opportunity to close the gap on Tigers starter Tarik Skubal in the American League race for the Cy Young Award. The pair figures to be 1-2 in the voting, though Skubal probably has an edge. If Detroit collapses out of the playoffs, and if the Red Sox clinch a spot, minds could yet be changed.
Crochet is 17-5 with a 2.69 ERA and a MLB-high 249 strikeouts.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan tabbed the acquisition of Crochet as the “Transaction of the Year” for 2025.
He wrote: “In terms of sheer impact, the Red Sox’s December acquisition of Crochet is unbeatable. And it’s among the most infrequent of trades, too: one in which both parties emerge elated. Without Crochet, 26, headlining the rotation, Boston isn’t sniffing a playoff spot.
“Not only did the Red Sox think enough of him to give up four players who had yet to make their major league debut, but during spring training, they kept Crochet from reaching free agency next winter with a six-year, $170 million contract extension even though the left-hander had never thrown 150 innings in a season.”
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