As Garrett Crochet worked through his first spring training with the Red Sox, he insisted he didn’t want to negotiate a potential contract extension once Opening Day came and went.
Of course, Boston’s new ace ended up giving the situation a little extra runway.
Crochet and the Red Sox finalized a significant contract extension Tuesday, five days after the star southpaw took the mound for Boston’s season opener in Texas. The 2024 All-Star responded by throwing eight innings for the first time in his MLB career in the Red Sox’s shutout win over the Orioles on Wednesday.
The 25-year-old spoke with NESN’s Dave O’Brien and Lou Merloni the day after dominating Baltimore at Camden Yards. Merloni couldn’t help but ask Crochet about not strictly abiding by the Opening Day extension deadline.
“Up until Opening Day, I felt like conversations were really picking up,” Crochet said, as seen on NESN. “It felt like we were at a point where it made sense to push past it. I felt like we were close enough. The content that was occurring in the dialogue was a lot more well-rounded. I felt like we were very close.”
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Crochet clearly was encouraged by the chatter taking place in the week leading up to putting pen to paper. In fact, the southpaw admitted to WEEI’s Rob Bradford that he had a good idea last Friday that he was on the precipice of a deal.
With a new contract now on the books, the Fenway Faithful’s ovation for Crochet when he makes his first home start could be a little louder than originally anticipated. He’s in line to take the ball next Monday when Boston opens a four-game set with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Featured image via Kim Klement Neitzel/Imagn Images
