The Red Sox and pitcher Kutter Crawford successfully avoided arbitration Tuesday, with the sides coming to terms on a new contract for the 2026 season.

The 29-year-old Crawford, who missed all of last season due to knee and wrist injuries, will make $2.75 million on his new deal with Boston, which is the same salary he made on his previous contract with the club.

Following what was an up-and-down season in 2024, Crawford battled knee discomfort throughout Spring Training and into the regular season. And just when it seemed like a potential comeback was on the way, Crawford sustained a wrist injury during off-field activities, and required what was ultimately season-ending surgery.

In that aforementioned 2024 campaign, Crawford posted career-highs in starts (33), innings (183.2), and strikeouts (175). But the righty-throwing Crawford also took an MLB-high 16 losses and allowed an MLB-worst 34 home runs over that run. Crawford’s season was really headlined by a tough finish, too, with eight losses over his final 12 starts of the season, and with diminished velocity over that limp to the finish line.

FORT MYERS, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 27: Kutter Crawford #50 of the Boston Red Sox delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning at JetBlue Park at Fenway South on February 27, 2023 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)Megan Briggs/Getty Images

FORT MYERS, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 27: Kutter Crawford #50 of the Boston Red Sox delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning at JetBlue Park at Fenway South on February 27, 2023 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

Assuming that Crawford is now fully healthy, his road to a return to a spot in the Boston rotation may be harder than ever. The Red Sox have already bolstered their 2026 rotation with offseason moves for Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo, while Payton Tolle and Connelly Early are obvious contenders for spots in Alex Cora’s rotation following their late-season emergences a year ago.

Crawford has spent his entire MLB career with the Red Sox, and has posted an 18-31 record with a 4.56 ERA over 86 games (69 starts) since 2021. 

The club’s signing of Crawford leaves the Red Sox with just four unsigned arbitration-eligible players, with the club still needing to hammer out new deals for starters Oviedo and Tanner Houck, as well as Triston Casas and Romy Gonzalez.