The Red Sox have Garrett Crochet and Brayan Bello locked in, but who else will be part of the 2026 starting rotation? 

The Boston Red Sox used extra-innings on Wednesday night to beat the Athletics at Fenway Park, moving to 83-69 on the season. With 10 games to play, Boston is tied with the Seattle Mariners for the second wild card spot in the American League, and they are seeking their first playoff appearance since 2021.

And while the 'now' is the most important thing for the Red Sox, the future also got a little murkier for Boston with that win.

Starting pitcher Lucas Giolito passed the 140 innings pitched mark, meaning that his $14 million club option becomes a $19 million mutual option. As noted by Spotrac, Giolito is expected to decline and become a free agent.

Where does this leave the Red Sox?

In a state of uncertainty, first and foremost. The Red Sox will enter 2026 with Garrett Crochet and Brayan Bello locked up, but they will have openings all around them in the rotation.

Tanner Houck is expected to miss most or all of the year with Tommy John surgery. Kutter Crawford missed all of this season with multiple issues and will be in the mix, but he's hardly something to depend on through the offseason.

Youngsters Payton Tolle and Connelly Early have acquitted themselves well in limited action this season and could factor into the discussion, as could guys like Richard Fitts and Cooper Criswell, who have started for the Red Sox before.

How about the money?

It's unclear what kind of contract Giolito could get, but it will certainly have to be a multi-year deal. The Red Sox can afford to pay him whatever he/they want, but paying him on a multi-year deal will certainly siphon off some of the money available in the offseason.

Giolito's season

After missing 2024 because of Tommy John surgery, and starting 2025 late because of a hamstring issue, Giolito has been very solid this season. In 25 starts, he's gone 10-4 with a 3.46 ERA, striking out 118 batters in 140.1 innings. He's allowed two earned runs or less in four of his last five starts.

Up next

The Red Sox will play the Athletics on Thursday afternoon with first pitch at 1:35 p.m. ET. Bello will pitch against J.T. Ginn. Bello is 11-7 with a 3.25 ERA.