Though he doesn’t think it’s serious, Lucas Giolito is battling a low-grade hamstring strain. Here’s the latest.
Brayan Bello is set to start the year on the injured list for the Boston Red Sox, and it appears that Kutter Crawford will as well.
The Red Sox, who are seemingly among the favorites in the American League this season, are already having their pitching depth tested, and it could take receive further testing based on the newest information regarding Lucas Giolito.
Per Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic:
Giolito just arrived and said the MRI shows a low-grade hamstring strain. He’s not sure next steps but he said he feels good and his work will be based on how he feels. Not sure yet if he can make his next start but he’s still throwing.
While it seems like Giolito will be OK, this is still worth monitoring. Considering he’s coming back from Tommy John surgery, any days missed or altered could be a significant deal in his rehab. He didn’t pitch at all in the 2024 season after injuring his elbow last spring training.
Giolito was an All-Star back in the 2019 season. Lifetime, he’s 61-62 with a 4.43 ERA. He has played with the Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels and Cleveland Guardians.
The 30-year-old has won double-digit games in four different seasons.
The Red Sox are coming off a season in which they went 81-81 and missed the playoffs, but given additions of Garrett Crochet, Walker Buehler and Alex Bregman, the expectations are certainly high.
MLB writer outlines potential extension for new Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet
The biggest issue for the Red Sox is Crochet’s contract situation. The southpaw has just two years left on his contract before he enters free agency, making a potential extension a popular talking point in Red Sox camp this spring. Even if Crochet pitches well for the next two years, it would be a devastating blow for the Red Sox to lose him after just two years, given that they traded their last two first-round picks in catcher Kyle Teel and outfielder Braden Montgomery to bring him to town.
On the flip side, there is also an incentive for Crochet to get an extension done. Due to various injuries, Crochet has pitched just 219 innings across five major league seasons; the vast majority came in 2024. Another significant injury would cost him tens of millions of dollars in free agency, and cashing in after a career-best season while he is still in the prime of his career may be a wise choice.
Given the desire on both sides for a long-term agreement, it’s no wonder why The Athletic’s Tim Britton put Crochet in the “Get this deal done now” section of his extension breakdown article.
“Crochet has expressed an interest in an extension since last summer, and the Red Sox didn’t trade the kind of prospect package they sent to the White Sox for Crochet just to watch him walk away in two years,” wrote Britton. “Crochet can anchor the starting staff as Boston opens a new competitive window.”
Britton’s proposed extension of five-years, $110 million may seem like a bargain compared to the free-agent contracts signed by the likes of Max Fried, Corbin Burnes and Blake Snell this winter, but it actually has benefits for both parties. For the Red Sox, they get the ace of the future for the rest of his 20s at an affordable price, while Crochet gets a significant pay raise on the last two years of arbitration and the ability to still enter the free-agent market at just 30 years old.
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