The Red Sox acquired their sought-after No. 1 starter earlier this offseason when they traded for White Sox southpaw Garrett Crochet.
But will the 25-year-old ace be a long-term fixture at Fenway Park?
Crochet is not expected to hit free agency until the end of the 2026 season — giving Boston a top talent for the next two seasons at a seemingly affordable price tag.
But with Craig Breslow and Boston’s top brass giving up a pair of top-100 prospects in the deal to acquire Crochet, the writing has been on the wall for months that the Red Sox would like to lock in the lefty on a long-term deal sooner rather than later.