Crochet’s velocity was down some in a frigid night in Boston, but that’s to be expected. He still kept the Jays scoreless until the sixth, when he gave up a George Springer homer and then was let down by the defense, with both Alex Bregman and Kristian Campbell committing errors. Of course, that Crochet walked two along the way also didn’t help. It’s the left-hander’s first loss in a Boston uniform. He’s slated to take on his former team in Chicago this weekend.

It’s amazing that Crochet can set down a lineup as good as the Orioles’ without having his A-game type of stuff. He seemed to be a bit uncomfortable early on, consistently missing his spot with his cutter and looked frustrated at times on the mound. Baltimore put runners on in the third, fourth, and fifth innings, but Crochet turned it on in that fifth. He got out of that inning with two strikeouts and wound up setting down 11 straight Orioles. Alex Cora entrusted him to come back out for the eighth inning and left him out there after a hard hit, lead-off single by Ramón Urías. Crochet rewarded that trust by rolling a double play ball and completed eight innings for the first time in his major league career. He’s scheduled to face the Blue Jays next Monday and then the White Sox in what should be a two-start week.

The extension starts next year and buys out five seasons of free agency, though Crochet can opt out before the last of those. According to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, the deal lacks a no-trade clause, but Crochet will get $2 million if dealt. He can also earn an extra $2 million per year from 2027-31 in incentives based on Cy Young balloting.

Passan adds that the deal includes an opt-out following the 2030 season, but could potentially keep Crochet in Boston through 2031. The 25-year-old fantasy ace, who was set to reach free agency in 2027, was shipped to the Red Sox in an offseason blockbuster after evolving into one of the premier pitchers in baseball last year when he led all starters with a staggering 35.1 percent strikeout rate across 146 innings (32 starts). It’s a significant development for the Red Sox as they lock in their front-of-the-rotation anchor for at least the next half-decade, if not longer.