Red Sox $3 Million Blockbuster Trade Acquisition Predicted To Break Out In 2025

Music to Red Sox fans' ears...

Jun 7, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet (45) delivers against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning at Guaranteed Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images / Matt Marton-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox had one thing in mind when they started making calls this winter: landing their new number-one starting pitcher.

Fortunately, the Chicago White Sox picked up enough of those calls, and the Red Sox were able to nab lefty Garrett Crochet in a blockbuster trade. They gave up four top prospects to land Crochet, but the Red Sox now have far more hope for the 2025 season.

Crochet's career hasn't been linear to this point, and 2024 was the first season he even worked as a starting pitcher at the major league level. He was undeniably fantastic, striking out 209 batters in just 146 innings pitched, but it's reasonable to wonder what the Red Sox should expect moving forward.

Ian Browne, the Red Sox beat writer for MLB.com, took an optimistic approach to that question on Monday. Browne tabbed Crochet as the Red Sox's top breakout candidate in 2024, even hinting at a similar trajectory followed by Detroit Tigers Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal.

"There’s a temptation to say Crochet already had his breakout season last year," Browne said. "But there is more in the tank. The lefty was on a pitch count following the All-Star break that limited him to 146 innings."

"If he can make the jump to close to 200, there’s no telling what kind of season he could have, given how dominant his arsenal is. Don’t rule out Crochet elevating his game the way Tarik Skubal did for the Tigers last season."

Crochet is entering his age-26 season, and there are plenty of peripheral stats that suggest he could continue to improve. He ranked in the 91st percentile with a 2.85 expected ERA last season, and his 35.1% strikeout rate was in the 98th percentile of all big-league pitchers.

Workload concerns are real, but Crochet remained healthy throughout the year even if he never threw five or more innings after. the All-Star break. As long as the Red Sox keep checking in to make sure he's not overextending himself, there's every chance he could pitch a full, healthy season.

The Red Sox lost a lefty who went on to win the Cy Young last season in Chris Sale. There would be something very fitting about correcting their error by adding a Cy Young contender the following season, especially from the same team they once traded with for Sale.

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