What Garrett Crochet Is Most ‘Fired Up’ About After Red Sox Extension

The past 48 hours have been quite the warm welcome for Boston Red Sox left-handed starting pitcher Garrett Crochet.

Boston’s biggest offseason pitching staff addition had logged just one start in a Red Sox uniform before the franchise prepared a six-year, $170 million contract offer. Crochet signed it and committed to the team less than 24 hours before throwing a career-high eight shutout innings in Wednesday night’s 3-0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.

Needless to say, the Red Sox’s investment of four prospects, including catcher Kyle Teel, given to the Chicago White Sox back in December, has paid off. Crochet, meanwhile, is looking forward to one specific aspect that comes with his debut season in Boston, and it’s got the 25-year-old “fired up.”

“It’s incredible, man. That’s what I imagined free agency to be like,” Crochet told MLB Network Radio on Thursday. “It’s kind of what happened to me this offseason, and now it’s signing the extension. I feel like I couldn’t have picked a better spot. Me and my wife, ever since the trade went down, have been ecstatic about getting out to Boston, and we’ll head there this afternoon after the game (against the Orioles). I’m just fired up to play in front of that crowd.”

Crochet has already gotten his first start with the Red Sox out of the way, followed by his first start against an American League East foe. Next, Crochet’s first start at Fenway Park, and what better way to introduce yourself to the fanbase than coming off an impressive showing in Baltimore? Crochet became MLB’s third pitcher this season to reach eight innings, which should get the Boston fanbase equally fired up to watch the left-hander take the field once the time comes.

Walker Buehler is slated to take the ball for Friday afternoon’s home opener against the St. Louis Cardinals, but the anticipation to watch Crochet will loom in Fenway Park’s surrounding streets.

“I think that becoming comfortable in a new organization is something that doesn’t come naturally, but once we got over to Fort Myers (Fla.), I think that it really did,” Crochet told reporters in Baltimore Thursday, per NESN. “It kind of came to very organically and something that me and my wife were really excited for.”

Crochet continued: “To have the security and feel like I’m playing to truly just win ballgames, it takes a lot of the riff-raff out of it.”

Red Sox fans at JetBlue Park offered Crochet a preview of what to expect from Fenway Park when he threw against the Toronto Blue Jays in spring training. The pressure was in the wake of Crochet’s initial trade to Boston, and so far, he’s embraced everything that’s come with being the Red Sox’s ace. With Lucas Giolito and Bryan Bello sidelined to begin the season, that pressure amplified a bit, yet Crochet’s gone 2-for-2 in Texas and Baltimore in giving Boston a pair of quality starts.

When 37,000 fill Fenway Park’s seats, Crochet can easily walk off the bump to his first standing ovation with a performance on par with what he’s already provided. It won’t be too long until Boston celebrates its first “Crochet Day” at home.