Would the Red Sox move on from this developing hurler?
The Boston Red Sox have had a very busy offseason in terms of starting pitching. Will there be further movements in the near future?
The Red Sox have a far better rotation than they did in 2024. By trading for Garrett Crochet and signing Walker Buehler, Boston has expanded its rotation while also adding a lot of upside. But what does this mean for the current starters?
Kutter Crawford had an up-and-down season for the Red Sox in his first full year in the rotation. He made 33 starts, some of which were excellent, but by the conclusion of the season, he led Major League Baseball in two categories: losses (16) and home runs allowed (34).
Now that the Red Sox have two new big-name additions to their rotation (three if you count Lucas Giolito’s return from injury), it’s unclear whether Crawford will be a full-time starter in the future. Could that lead to a shock move?
On Wednesday, Devon Platana of FanSided predicted that the Red Sox would move Crawford at some point this calendar year, whether before the season, during the 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,” according to Platana. “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 expected to earn only $3.85 million in arbitration (according to Spotrac), making his price tag a persuasive argument for keeping him in town. Starting pitching in general has become a highly valued commodity, making cost-effective starting pitching even more crucial to stockpile.
It makes little sense for the Red Sox to trade Crawford, even if he is their number-six starter entering Spring Training. Injuries happen, and moving starters to the bullpen usually results in a healthier pitching staff.
But with all that said, anything is possible if some team blows Boston away with an offer.
