Timing is everything, and with the Red Sox heading into Thursday’s MLB trade deadline heavy on the trail of pitching, the team picked a notable time to announce they’re going to tinker with ace Garrett Crochet‘s pitching schedule as the team readies for the stretch run.
The Red Sox would badly like to bring in a No. 2 option to bolster Crochet in the rotation, but the asking price for that level of pitcher, as well as teams’ willingness to make a deadline trade involving good starters, probably makes such a move prohibitive. Still, adding a starter before 6 p.m. ET on Thursday appears to be a must in Boston.
In the meantime, the Red Sox will be getting proactive on Crochet, who has been (knock on wood) remarkably healthy during his first full season as an ace on a good team. As such, the Red Sox are giving him some rest here as July turns to August, pushing back his next start to next week.
Red Sox Will Find a New Starter vs. Astros
Crochet was slated to pitch on Friday against the Astros. Instead, he is going pitch in the following series, against Kansas City.
Here’s what Alex Cora announced to reporters on Wednesday, per MLB.com: ““We’re going to push back Garrett to either Monday or Tuesday [against the Royals]. This is something we’ve been talking about for a while here, kind of like, give him a breather. So we’ll do that.”
The Red Sox have Thursday off, and are slated to have Lucas Giolito go on Saturday, with Walker Buehler up on Sunday. The Red Sox could start Cooper Criswell on Friday, despite the fact that Criswell has not started a game for Boston this season in six appearances. But at Triple-A Worcester, 13 of his 14 games have been starts (4-2, 3.32 ERA).
Garrett Crochet Has a Long Injury History
Crochet came to Boston in a blockbuster trade last winter with a major concern about his health, because he pitched 146 innings in 2024, and before that, had struggled to stay healthy in any one year. He missed all of 2022 with Tommy John surgery, and pitched only 12.1 innings in 2023 because of shoulder issues.
Crochet was the No. 11 overall pick from Tennessee in 2020 by the White Sox, and after that, pitched just 85.1 innings from 2020-23.
He is now at 141.1 as we put a bow on July, and he is welcoming the team’s plans to preserve him for an August-September (and perhaps October) run.
Garrett Crochet: ‘Good Time to Catch My Breath’
Crochet said he had already spoke to the Red Sox about getting extra rest.
“It’s a good time to catch my breath a little bit,” said Crochet, via MassLive. “Not really a de-load, but a little bit so in that sense. I kind of knew, throughout the season, that we would try to find extra rest for me if we could. I’d like a five-day (routine), but I appreciate the front office and the managerial staff looking out for me.”
“I think realistically, it kind of depends, as we get into August and September, what we’re looking like as far as the postseason picture,” he said. “But before we really get into the heat of August and September, while the off-days are still kind to us and we’re able to do this without throwing everybody else off schedule as well, it benefits me and I feel like if you’re benefitting anybody, you’re ultimately benefitting the team.”
Red Sox Make Big Garrett Crochet Announcement Ahead of Trade Deadline