Red Sox lefty Garrett Crochet he hasn’t played since April and it doesn’t look like he’ll be back anytime soon. Left tells Tim Healey of The Boston Globe that he intends to return in time for the playoffs.
It’s been a confusing season for Crochet. He posted a 6.30 earned run average in his first six starts, worse than the 2.59 ERA he posted last year. He hit the injured list in late April due to some inflammation in his throwing shoulder. It was thought to be a minor problem, with Crochet oozing confidence that he will return after taking a little time off the shelf. Instead, various obstacles turned it into a frustrating odyssey for him. He said in June that he won’t be back before the All-Star break. Now he is serious about October.
As the problem dragged on, there were cumulative effects on the timeline. By missing so much time, Crochet will need a long ramp-up when he is finally cleared to throw. Even if he is allowed to start that ramp-up soon, which seems unlikely, it will take six more weeks for him to be in game shape. Six weeks from today it will already be September, so Crochet is instead looking beyond that.
As Crochet tries to get healthy, the club has been remarkably successful without him. They are currently on a 14 game winning streak which has seen them reach the Wild Card spot. Playing in October is now more possible than it looked a few weeks ago.
“I think we’re trying to reverse engineering,” Crochet said of his plan. “I am a person who likes goals, if I see a deadline, I will do it [expletive] meet it.” Crochet also answered the question of how he will work after so much time off. “It’s a very bad situation, I’m not ready yet. The second worst case scenario is that I throw up, but it’s a dog [expletive]as it was at the beginning of the year. I don’t want to be there to have a warm body, especially the way the guys, all the staff, were doing.”
At the moment, the Sox have a combination cycle Sonny Gray, Payton Tolle, Jake Bennett again Patrick Sandoval. It seems like Guard Suárez will be activated from IL soon, possibly between today’s doubleheader games. Eduardo Rivera again Brian Bello currently in the bullpen as long relief options. Connelly Early and he’s in IL with an uncertain timeline but he’s pitching, so maybe he could be back in the mix in the near future. Cutter Crawford, Tanner Houck again Johan Oviedo more opportunities to come out of IL later this year.
If the Sox feel nervous about that depth, perhaps they could look to add an arm or two before the August 3 deadline. Whether they do or not, they may have to make a tough decision in the future about whether to go with the rusty Crochet or someone who has been healthier and more reliable. Crochet roofs are undeniable. He was at his best last year, finishing in second place Tarik Skubal in the American League Cy Young voting. But his shoulder has been an issue all year and it’s anyone’s guess what he can do after being sidelined for so long.
Perhaps a return as a dealer will be considered at some point, though Crochet doesn’t seem to be thinking about that right now. He talked to Healey about his return from a shoulder injury in 2023, but said that situation was different because he was building to one inning at that time. Presumably, that means he’s still trying to return as a starter here in 2026.
Time will tell how this season’s return plays out. In the future, it seems that the status of Crochet’s contract will be affected. As noted by Healey, Crochet’s deal contains an opt-out after 2030, but only if he doesn’t spend 120 days in the IL at any time with a throwing arm-related injury. Also, there is a club option for 2032 worth $15MM, which is activated with the same 120-day condition. You will hit that number on August 23rd.
Since that doesn’t seem likely, then it’s key when Crochet will lose that opportunity and the Sox will get one more year of control over him. That club option would be his age-33 season but $15MM is the starting price in a trade, so it would be taxing for the Sox as long as he is healthy and productive during that time. Crochet doesn’t seem too concerned about losing access to the open market.
“It’s frustrating, but I mean, what’s the worst thing that happens? I’m in Boston for another year? The best. This is the place I wanted to be,” Crochet said. “That was a clause to help the team reduce the risk, I think and they knew there was a risk. I knew there was a risk. A year ago, it’s like, I was playing the pass. [his salary]? Or does it matter? And now I get hurt, and it’s like, I’m glad I protected the defense. What I felt when I signed the contract was that I wanted to exceed the contract. So it’s bad, but there’s still time. “
Photo courtesy of Eric Canha, Imagn Images
