Red Sox All-Star Tanner Houck Hints At Long-Term Future With Boston

Should Boston commit to this All-Star righty?

Aug 25, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Tanner Houck (89) pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images / Eric Canha-Imagn Images

For all the talk about free agents the Boston Red Sox might sign, it's also important to keep track of who they might extend.

The Red Sox were one of the youngest teams in Major League Baseball this season, and they also handed out early extensions to starting pitcher Brayan Bello and Ceddanne Rafaela. There are plenty of candidates to receive the next long-term deal, and one of those is breakout All-Star starting pitcher Tanner Houck.

Even if Houck tailed off a bit at the end of the season, it was still a fabulous 2024 campaign for the first-time All-Star pitcher. He made 30 starts, putting up a 3.12 ERA and 154 strikeouts in 178 2/3 innings. He also allowed just 11 home runs, leading all American League starters in home run rate.

Having Houck ins the rotation was immensely valuable to the Red Sox in 2024. But how much longer do they expect him to be a big part of their starting pitching plans? He now has three years of team control remaining, which will only take him through his age-31 season.

If it were up to Houck, it appears the righty would be staying where he's comfortable: in Boston.

“I’m always open to (extension) conversations. I love Boston. And in the fall, leaves changing, this is what I want. This is right up my alley,” Houck recently told Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald. “If it happens, great, if it doesn’t happen, no hard feelings by any means. Ultimately, teams got to do what’s best for them and what they feel is best. If I’m part of the plan, great. If not, while I have time here, I will continue to give everything I have for the city, in blood, sweat and tears.”

It's great to have a player who wants to be in town, and that's where Houck should certainly be for at least the next three seasons. However, at this point, an extension seems unlikely. The Red Sox have shown themselves to be very age-conscious, and it's uncertain how well Houck will age into his 30s.

The jury was still out on whether Houck was a starter or a reliever before the 2024 season began. He firmly answered that question with an excellent season as a starter, but there's no guarantee he will repeat that success for three more seasons.

There's still an opportunity for Houck to prove himself as a long-term piece of the puzzle in Boston. He'll just have to keep showing up like he did in 2024 for the next few seasons.

More MLB: Red Sox Linked To $217 Million Superstar By MLB Insiders In High-Stakes Bidding War