The Red Sox’ pitching depth has more flexibility than might’ve been otherwise apparent at first glance. Right-hander Cooper Criswell exhausted his third and typically final option year in 2024, but Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports that the Red Sox will actually hold a fourth option year on Criswell.
It’s standard in Major League Baseball for players to have three “option” years where they can be freely sent down to a minor league affiliate without first clearing waivers. An “option year” is used when any player on the 40-man roster is optioned to the minors and spends at least 20 days there. This applies even to players who’ve yet to make their big league debut but are optioned to a minor league affiliate out of spring training. However, the league grants a fourth option year for players who exhaust their three original three option years in fewer than five professional seasons (defined as 90-plus days on a major league or minor league active roster/injured list).
In the case of Criswell, he’s a 2018 draftee of the Angels who’s appeared in exactly five full seasons: 2019 and 2021-24. (He wasn’t on the roster for the abbreviated 2020 campaign.) The Halos originally selected him to the 40-man roster in 2021, and he was optioned in each of the three subsequent seasons throughout the course of stints with the Halos, Rays and Red Sox.
For the Red Sox, it’s a nice boon. Criswell goes from a back-end starter/swingman who’d have to be rostered on Opening Day to a valuable fifth/sixth starter who can be shuttled between their Triple-A affiliate in nearby Worcester and the major league roster. Criswell, who signed a big league deal with the Sox after being non-tendered by the Rays last winter, clearly pitched his way into the club’s plans with 99 1/3 innings of 4.08 ERA ball between the rotation and bullpen. He fanned a below-average 17.2% of opponents against a strong 7.3% walk rate and impressive 50.3% ground-ball rate.
Right now, the locks in the Boston rotation are Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford and Brayan Bello. Veteran Lucas Giolito, once healthy, will eventually join them. Criswell, Quinn Priester and Richard Fitts are among the other options near the back of the rotation.
The Sox figure to add at least one starting pitcher via free agency and/or trade. They’ve been linked to the top names on the market already and have at least signaled a willingness to act more aggressively than in recent offseasons. Criswell’s extra option year gives them some flexibility and will help the team preserve depth if and when additional rotation arms are added in the weeks and months ahead.
This seems like a way to screw over players who get shuttled around a lot, but I haven’t heard of it before now.
Not really, it has to do with the fact that he didn’t spend much time in the minors before his major league debut. It doesn’t have anything to do with how many times they move around.
It sounds like it’s actually due to him not being in the roster in 2020. So he used up 3 option years in 4 “professional seasons”, which makes him eligible for the extra option year.
I missed a part of the definition of professional season though. defined as 90-plus days on a major league or minor league active roster/injured list
So he’s getting the extra option year due to not being on a roster at all in 2020. I missed the minor league active roster/IL part.
So most guys who get optioned would stick on a minor league roster/IL so this would be irrelevant.
It’s clearly expressed how the fourth year option can be applied. Any player would be happy to be called up earlier than his peers. Nobody is getting screwed.
Yankee – I missed part of the definition of professional season, I thought it was due to not spending 90 days on a major league roster (missing the minor league /IL part). Which is why the fourth option year is rare. I thought man that seems weird that I haven’t heard of this before with that definition, I should have double-checked!
@Joemo So many rules. I’ve yet to find a definitive source for option years remaining. Even FG gets it wrong.
Abreu, Crawford, Montgomery and Arias for Crotchet and Robert. Let’s get this offseason moving Breslow!
Montgomery isn’t going anywhere. the other 3 may get it done. if anything I’d include password.
Montgomery isn’t going anywhere. the other 3 may get it done. if anything, I’d include password.
This means the Red Sox can stash Criswell in AAA stretched out as a starter rather than having to keep him in the MLB Boston bullpen (which is not the greatest use of his talent).
Unfortunately for him is he doesn’t accrue MLB time in AAA. Hopefully, he does well and makes it back eventually getting starters’ money.
Every team that wishes to be successful needs AAA starting pitching depth. Chances are very good that they will be needed. Cooper will be pitching in the big leagues next season.
The Red Sox will have Fitts, Priester, Dobbins, and Criswell as starting depth as long as the off-season goes well and they add a couple of starters including a tor guy to lead the rotation.
Nice! Always nice to have options.
Should have played in 2020.
This seems to be in opposition to what the MLB rule is. Criswell has 5 full seasons (>90 days, active + IL) meaning he doesn’t qualify for a 4th option year. BTW, as I understand it, this is granted by MLB based on the rules. Teams DO NOT and CANNOT ask for an exception to the rules. Given that, how is this possible?
He wasn’t on a 40-man in 2020 and sat out a professional season since there was no minor league season.
He makes a nice 6th in the rotation option.
Right now, the locks in the Boston rotation are Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford
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Is Crawford really a lock? He had a 5.24 after his first 8 starts, with a 6.00 in Aug/Sept. More of a #6 imo.
I agree, Crawford was very overrated. Only lock to me is Houck.
Joe –
Crawford is a lock. 4.36 ERA is high compared to the 4.04 in 2023 but you have to adjust for the Red Sox defense. No telling how padded that number is due to errors that didn’t count but my guess is a lot more of Devers didn’t count in 2024 than 2023 for his error total to be as low as it was in 2024.. Crawford’s WHIP is 1.122 after a 1.106 in 2023. Those are outstanding for a pitcher with as little experience as he has had.
Joe, take another look because Crawford’s problem is just one thing. He gave up 21 HRs in the second half of the season. He gave up less than a hit an inning and his walks were good. That means he either didn’t locate well during the second half or maybe teams caught up with the pitching approach introduced by the new pitching coaches. Playing the AL East so many times in the second half probably impacted his numbers significantly too since as pitching patterns are observed frequently in a short period, pitchers become less effective. The same thing happened to Houck.
We have Houck, Crawford and to me Bello will be the question mark going into the season. Giolito when he’s ready will obviously be in the rotation too. Take another look at the splits for Crawford because they are strange. Usually a guy who gives up that much higher of an ERA usually gives up a much higher H/9 number and he didn’t. He just gave up a lot more HRs. The pitching coaches need to break that down and solve the problem.
Another guy named off a cereal brand rip off…
The – Nice callout to Coco Crisp!
I always wanted Baltimore to have a cherry logo on their uniforms.