BOSTON — With Thursday’s deadline looming for clubs to exchange figures with all arbitration-eligible players, the Red Sox avoided that process with Kutter Crawford on Tuesday by agreeing on a new one-year contract with the righty starter.
A source told MLB.com Crawford will earn a base salary of $2.75 million in 2026, the same salary he had last year when he was unable to throw a pitch.
In 2024, Crawford had somewhat of a breakthrough season, leading the Red Sox in starts (33) and innings (183 2/3) but also giving up an MLB-leading 34 homers and posting a 4.36 ERA.
When Spring Training opened last year, the Sox revealed that Crawford was dealing with discomfort in the patellar tendon of his right knee. In fact, Crawford said he pitched through discomfort from his third start on in 2024, leading to diminished velocity down the stretch of that season.
The right-hander tried to battle through the injury and get back on the mound last season, but he had a hard time getting over the hump.
Finally, there was progress and Crawford was close to going on a Minor League rehab assignment by late June. But he suffered a right wrist injury while performing maintenance around his house and had to undergo season-ending surgery on July 2.
“It’s been tough. I was really close to starting the rehab assignment before I had this incident with the wrist the day before my last live BP,” Crawford told reporters last Aug. 15. “It’s been difficult. It’s been frustrating. But I’m just trying to do everything I can to just prepare and get my body and my mind in the best spot possible for when I do take the mound again.”
Now that Crawford is healthy, his biggest issue will be trying to earn a spot in a crowded Boston rotation that has Garrett Crochet, Sonny Gray, Brayan Bello and Johan Oviedo slotted into the first four spots, and a battle for the fifth spot looming between Patrick Sandoval, Payton Tolle, Connelly Early, Kyle Harrison and Crawford.
Following the agreement with Crawford, the Sox have four arbitration-eligible players remaining in righty Tanner Houck (recovering from Tommy John surgery), Oviedo, infielder Romy Gonzalez and first baseman Triston Casas.
