Garrett Crochet won't touch question on Red Sox extension with a ten-foot pole

It was evident going into the offseason: Alex Cora and the Boston Red Sox needed a genuine ace-level pitcher. After a disappointing first offseason at the helm, Craig Breslow finally delivered, sending multiple top prospects, including catcher Kyle Teel, to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for 2024 American League Comeback Player of the Year Garrett Crochet. Though he doesn't possess the track record as a starter, Boston bought into his upside, hoping he can build on an All-Star campaign last season where his punchout rate stood at an impressive 35.1 percent.

Of course, as exciting an addition as this it, there is a catch. Crochet is only under team control through 2026, leaving some questions about his long-term future in Boston. On Wednesday, the first day of Red Sox Spring Training, the lefty made it clear that his focus isn't on putting pen to paper just yet.

“My understanding of it is, you know, Mission 1 was getting to camp, and then, you know, talks would happen or not happen after that," said Crochet, per Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald. "You know, as far as that side of things, like to leave it to my agent. I just like to come out and focus on playing ball.”

It seems unlikely that the hopes of Boston fans for Crochet to sign a new deal before his Red Sox tenure even begins will be realized. However, in early January, it was reported that the two sides had begun discussing the idea, with the star pitcher reportedly wanting to remain with his new ball club long-term, according to MassLive’s Sean McAdam.

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Tying Garrett Crochet down long-term needs to be at the very top of the Red Sox fan to-do list

Outside of bringing in another right-handed bat, there are few items more important for the front office to address than making sure Crochet is here for the long haul. You don't just give up four prospects, including two within MLB's top 50, for a two-year rental. Add in the fact that top-of-the-line pitching isn't a strength of Boston's current prospect pool, and keeping the lefty around becomes even more crucial.

Boston already committed to Crochet as a core piece of its future, and now it's time to pay him like it — sooner rather than later. Putting these negotiations off until the middle of the season or at the end of 2025 could force Boston to dig deeper into its pockets, taking into account the absence of a lease and a continued upward progression from one of baseball's most talented pitchers.

What Crochet showed in 2024 coming off Tommy John surgery was special. Heck, the man struck out 209 batters, something only eight other pitchers in White Sox franchise history have managed to do in a single season. His four-seam fastball last season was straight-up filth, with batters hitting an unbelievably low .198. The idea of Crochet believing in his potential, and aiming for a bigger deal in the future may ultimately prove true.

"As players, we like to look out for our family first," Crochet said. But with last year being my first taste of starting, part of me also wants to see what I could do with the full season of innings workload ... Part of me wants to see what I could do in a full season before, I suppose, locking myself into a certain bracket of player."

The Mississippi native, who went from attempting to get his career back on track via the bullpen to an All-Star caliber starter, owns the second-highest odds to take home the AL Cy Young this year, behind only the 2024 winner Tarik Skubal, per BetMGM.