Garrett Crochet feels right at home with Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox made a huge commitment to Garrett Crochet this week when the team signed the lefty ace to a six-year, big money extension. But Crochet has been feeling the love from the Red Sox and Boston fans for a while now.
Crochet spoke with reporters at Fenway Park on Friday ahead of the Boston's home opener, and said the warm welcomes from the franchise started right after the team traded for him in December.
"They made an immediate impression on me," Crochet said Friday. "I can't wait to wear this uniform for a number of years."
Red Sox fans got a chance to share their adulation for the southpaw at January's Fanfest in Boston, and Crochet can't wait to pitch in front of the Fenway Faithful as a member of the Red Sox next week.
"The embrace was incredible," Crochet explained. "It was the first Fanfest I've been a part of. Coming here on the road was difficult to do, but being on the home side is going to be exciting."
The 25-year-old Crochet will front the Boston rotation for a while, as his extension runs through the 2031 season. He should get a rousing ovation when he's introduced Friday, after he tossed eight shutout innings in Baltimore in his first start after signing his new deal.
Crochet foresees a lot more of those dominant outings in a Red Sox uniform over the next seven years.
"It's awesome. I threw [102] pitches the other day, the second-most I've ever thrown. To do that right out of the gate was really cool and I look forward to doing that in all of my starts," said Crochet.
Why Garrett Crochet signed his extension with Red Sox
Crochet initially didn't want to negotiate an extension during the season, but that changed when the Red Sox offered him a $170 million deal. The large sum of money obviously played a factor in his decision, but Crochet was most impressed with the commitment to winning he saw from the top of the organization on down.
He likely could have gotten more money had he waited and hit free agency in two years. But Crochet wants to be part of something special in Boston.
"I think when you look at the organization as a whole, it's a very welcoming, well-run organization. The talent from top to bottom gives us the opportunity to compete for years to come," said Crochet. "Along with [president and CEO] Sam Kennedy, Bres (chief baseball officer Craig Breslow) and AC (manager Alex Cora), the entire top was very welcoming to me. I felt like they were that way with players throughout the minor leagues as well. It's just a very well-run organization that I look forward to being a part of."
In addition to Crochet, the Red Sox also signed star rookie Kristian Campbell to an eight-year extension earlier this week.