"We want Garrett Crochet to be the best version of himself" - Red Sox pitching coach shares feelings about unlocking All-Star's potential in 2025

On the final day of the MLB's Winter Meetings, the Boston Red Sox acquired LHP Garrett Crochet from the Chicago White Sox. Chicago received Boston's No. 4 prospect Kyle Teel, Braden Montgomery, Chase Meidroth, and Wikelman Gonzalez.

That is quite the haul, but Crochet is quite the pitcher. He was drafted as the 11th overall selection in the 2020 MLB Draft, immediately taking on a bullpen role later that year.

Crochet is coming off a season where he transitioned into becoming a starting pitcher. This is how Boston sees the flamethrowing lefty, and they are excited about what is to come. Pitching coach Andrew Bailey spoke about his excitement and possible workload on a recent airing of the Fenway Rundown, via Masslive's Sean McAdam.

"We're going to treat him just like we do the rest of our starters. We want them to be the best versions of themselves every single time they take the mound, whether that's on their fifth day, sixth day... whatever that looks like," said Bailey.

Bailey does not foresee the club putting any limits on Crochet. He will be expected to take the ball and start games as much as he possibly can this upcoming season.

"From an innings limit standpoint, as long as he's healthy and there's no signs of fatigue and he's bouncing back okay, he's going to be in the bucket with everybody else" said Bailey.

Adding Garrett Crochet gives the Red Sox an ace but they could still use another arm or two

Boston Red Sox Pitcher - Garrett Crochet (Photo via IMAGN)

Acquiring Garrett Crochet gave the Red Sox something they did not have an ace. He will work at the top of this rotation which includes Brayan Bello, Tanner Houck, Lucas Giolito, and Kutter Crawford.

While this rotation has a ton of upside, there are still some concerns. Bello and Crawford are still young and developing, and Giolito will be coming off a missed 2024 season.

It would not hurt Boston to add another arm to this rotation. Luckily for them, there are still quite a few good starting pitchers still on the open market.

Jack Flaherty remains a free agent and would be an excellent addition to this staff. He is coming off a spectacular season split between the Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Dodgers.

It will be interesting to see if Boston moves in on another arm or feels comfortable with the staff they have heading into the 2025 season.