Red Sox Exercise Garrett Whitlock’s 2027 Option
The Boston Red Sox exercised reliever Garrett Whitlock’s 2027 contract option on November 1, keeping the right-hander with the team for another season.
Boston will pay Whitlock $8.25 million in 2027 after exercising the option, which was part of the four-year, $18.75 million contract he signed in 2022. The 30-year-old would have received a $1 million buyout if the team had declined it. Boston also holds a 2028 option worth $10.5 million, with a $500,000 buyout.
Whitlock was one of the team’s most effective late-inning relievers in 2026. He recorded a 1.72 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP, striking out 59 batters and walking nine over 52⅓ innings. He appeared in 54 games and finished with a 7-2 record. Since returning from right-elbow surgery, he has a 2.03 ERA across 116 appearances over two seasons.
After the season, imaging showed Whitlock had pitched with a fractured right tibia for at least part of the final month. He had been dealing with leg pain while Boston pursued a playoff spot. His treatment includes rest and wearing a boot for six weeks; he is expected to have a regular offseason otherwise.
Whitlock is also Boston’s player representative to the players’ union. That role could matter during a planned owners’ lockout after baseball’s collective bargaining agreement expires on December 1, a stoppage that could affect spring training and the regular season.