Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Garrett Crochet is one of three finalists for the American League Cy Young Award on Wednesday night, joining Tarik Skubal (Detroit Tigers) and Hunter Brown (Houston Astros). Skubal is expected to win, and if he does, it will be his second straight Cy Young victory.

Whether he wins or not, Crochet had an incredible season for Boston, going 18-5 with a 2.59 ERA in 32 regular season starts. He struck out a major-league best 255 batters in 205.1 innings and led the American League in innings pitched, showing the kind of workhorse he can be.

The scary part? Pitching coach Andrew Bailey thinks he can get even better, as he said on the NESN '310 to Left' podcast on Wednesday.

I personally don't think he's at his ceiling. I think there's more in the tank for him.

Bailey cited Crochet's attitude and mindset as "inspiring," and said that he thinks the development of a two-seamer and change-up will help him grow even more moving forward.

A trade that has paid off

The Red Sox acquired Crochet at the winter meetings last offseason in exchange for a trio of solid prospects (Braden Montgomery, Kyle Teel and Chase Meidroth). And even though it was a lot to give up, Crochet paid it off with his ability to dominate every fifth day. The deal became even more of a home run when Crochet signed a six-year extension that kicks in this season ($170 million). Crochet led the Red Sox to the playoffs for the first time since 2021 and dominated the New York Yankees in Game 1, which Boston won.

The Red Sox goal now

The Sox have said that they want to go out and acquire another frontline starter to pair with Crochet in 2026, and they've been linked to Joe Ryan and Freddy Peralta on the trade market, as well as several free agents, including Dylan Cease.

Recently, Jeff Passan of ESPN advocated for trading for Ryan, a move that we agreed with. You can see that story and hear our comments here.

ESPN Insider Names Perfect Offseason Move For Boston Red Sox and it Makes Perfect Sense Jeff Passan is a fan of the Red Sox picking up Joe Ryan this offseason, and there's a handful of reasons why he is right.

In addition to another starting pitcher, Boston leadership has indicated that they are looking for a middle-of-the-order bat and a third baseman. They've been linked to Pete Alonso, a first baseman, as well.

Timeline

The winter meetings from Dec. 7-10 are the first real chance to see any movement on a deal like this, but the Twins can continue to hold out on a potential Ryan deal as long as they want. Remember, because he's under contract for two years, they aren't forced into acting quickly either.

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