When the Chicago White Sox first dangled Garrett Crochet as a premium trade piece last summer, one of the first things the young strikeout artist did was demand an extension from whatever team would hypothetically trade for him. It was quite the unexpected twist in what was about to be one of the biggest trade sweepstakes of the year.

The 2024 trade deadline passed and the White Sox held onto their budding ace. But over the winter, the White Sox received an offer they couldn’t turn down, and Crochet swapped out his white socks for red ones. Crochet’s presence in the Red Sox rotation offers his new team much-needed peace of mind, something their pitching staff sorely lacked last season.

However, it remains unclear for how long. The latest update from Red Sox GM Craig Breslow is not encouraging for Boston’s long-term outlook.

Red Sox extension talks with Garrett Crochet are on hold for the season

According to Craig Breslow, Red Sox fans should not expect an extension with Crochet this season. Breslow had this to say ahead of the team’s Opening Day matchup with the Texas Rangers, as reported by Red Sox insider Chris Cotillo:

Breslow says to not expect an extension with Crochet and that he has been outspoken about his desire to table talks past today.

Crochet had set Opening Day as a deadline for reaching an extension. With that deadline now in the rearview mirror, it seems talks will need to wait until winter. Unfortunately, time is a crucial factor in these negotiations: Crochet will be a free agent after the 2026 season giving Breslow and Red Sox upper management just one more offseason to work with. And with Crochet tantalizingly close to free agency by then, who knows what his price might be?

In his first year as a starter, Crochet posted a 3.58 ERA over 146 innings. Over that time, the 25-year-old southpaw fanned 209 batters, giving him an elite 35.1% strikeout rate. Given his immense talent and staggering upside, this is certainly one starter the Red Sox want to lock up for the long run. But for now, it is a waiting game. Crochet will earn $3.8 million this season in his second year of arbitration.

WORCESTER, Mass. — Marcelo Mayer won’t be too far behind Kristian Campbell for his MLB debut with the Boston Red Sox.

Mayer starts the season with Triple-A Worcester along with top prospect Roman Anthony. Mayer earned the call from Double-A Portland last August but never played a game at the new level when nagging injuries shut down his season.

The Red Sox have solidified starters at shortstop and third base in the big leagues with Trevor Story and Alex Bregman, respectively. Mayer recognizes that and made a commitment to versatility in an attempt to speed up his big-league promotion and help the club on a fill-in basis to start.

“I’ll definitely be playing around the infield this year more than I have in my career,” Mayer told reporters Thursday at Polar Park. “That’s just a testament to staying ready at every position. Wherever my opportunity is and when my time is called, I’ll be ready.”