Red Sox Sign Garett Whitlock to 4 Year Extension

The Boston Red Sox have announced the signing of Garrett Whitlock to a four-year extension with 18.75 guaranteed. The deal includes two club options for the 2027 and 2028 seasons. In total, the contract's maximum value is six years at 44.5 million. This contract is an absolute win for the Red Sox, especially because this is such a team-friendly deal. They’ve currently secured the control of Garett Whitlock through 2028 at an affordable price. Currently, the Red Sox have one of the best relievers in baseball for under 5 million a year. The incentives on the contract kick in if he becomes a starter, a role the Red Sox see Whitlock potentially filling. At just 25 years old, the Red Sox have no idea what Whitlock’s ceiling can be. Is he an elite reliever? Everyone who saw him pitch out of the bullpen last year knows that he is capable of being an elite reliever at the big-league level. However, maybe he can contribute as a starting pitcher. The Red Sox selected him in the Rule 5 Draft as a starting pitching prospect. He certainly has the confidence and composure and pitch repertoire to become a middle of the rotation starter. The idea of having Tanner Houck and Garett Whitlock as middle rotation arms with team control is exciting if you’re a fan of the Red Sox or a part of the organization.

Will Whitlock continue to be Somewhere in between? The game is changing and teams are developing these new multi-inning relief/swing man roles. No matter what Whitlocks role, the Red Sox have locked up a valuable member of their staff. Two pitchers in all of baseball pitched 73 innings with a sub 2 ERA in 2021. Those pitchers were Jacob Degrom and Garett Whitlock. Red Sox Nation should be ecstatic that Whitlock is here for a long time because the sky's the limit for what he will contribute to this team.