Red Sox Surprisingly Predicted To Cut Ties With $3.9 Million Rising Star Via Trade

Would the Red Sox move on from this developing hurler?

May 22, 2018; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; A general view of Boston Red Sox hats and gloves laying in the dugout at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images / Kim Klement-Imagn Images

It's been a busy offseason for the Boston Red Sox on the starting pitching front. Are more moves soon to follow?

Compared to the bare-bones rotation they had in 2024, the Red Sox are sitting pretty. By trading for Garrett Crochet and signing Walker Buehler, Boston both lengthened the rotation considerably and added tons of upside. But what does that mean for the incumbent starters?

Kutter Crawford had an up-and-down season for the Red Sox in his first full year as a member of the rotation. He made 33 starts and some of them were great, but at the end of the season, he led Major League Baseball in two statistics: losses (16) and home runs allowed (34).

Now that the Red Sox have two new big-name additions to the rotation (three if you count Lucas Giolito's return from injury), it's uncertain whether Crawford will have a full-time spot moving forward. Could that bring about a surprising move?

On Wednesday, Devon Platana of FanSided predicted that the Red Sox would trade Crawford at some point during the calendar year, whether it happens before the season, mid-season, or early next winter.

"Even though Crawford still has a lot of his career left ahead of him, he might not get to play it out in Boston," Platana said. "The 28-year-old RHP still has four years of team control remaining, which the Red Sox can use to entice a potential trade partner if they're trying to land an impact player."

Crawford is projected to make just $3.85 million in arbitration (via Spotrac), so his price tag is a compelling argument for keeping him in town. Starting pitching in general has become an incredibly value commodity, so cost-controlled starting pitching is even more important to stockpile.

It doesn't make sense for the Red Sox to move Crawford even if he's their number-six starter entering Spring Training. Injuries happen, and moving starters to the bullpen often results in healthier pitching staffs.

But with all that said, anything is possible if some team blows Boston away with an offer.

More MLB: Red Sox 5-Year Starter Predicted To Bolt For Reds After Declining $21M Offer