FORT MYERS, Fla. — It’s rare for a player to be eligible for a fourth minor league option.
But that will be the situation for Red Sox pitcher Cooper Criswell in 2025.
The majority of players have three minor league options. A player receives a fourth option year only when he has accrued fewer than five years of minor league and major league service time.
As MassLive reported in November, Criswell is eligible, meaning the Red Sox again will have the ability to move him freely back and forth between Triple-A Worcester and Boston without removing him from the 40-man roster.
It’s greatly beneficial to the Red Sox. It gives chief baseball officer Craig Breslow flexibility. The Red Sox are considering a six-man rotation, which means they would have seven relievers instead of eight on their 26-man roster. Breslow said it’s important to have multiple multi-inning relievers and pitchers with options (Criswell fills that description) if a six-man rotation is used because short starts are inevitable.
Boston has the ability to keep Criswell stretched out as a depth starter in Worcester’s rotation and recall him for spot starts and/or length of out the bullpen. It’s obviously a luxury to have no matter if Boston goes with a five- or six-man rotation.
If Criswell was out of options, he would have had to make Boston’s Opening Day roster (most likely as a long reliever) or else be designated for assignment and/or traded.
While the fourth option year is greatly beneficial for a team, it isn’t as ideal for a player who obviously wants to remain in the big leagues the full season.
That said, there’s still a chance Criswell makes the Opening Day as a multi-inning reliever. As Breslow said Tuesday, “I think given the importance we’ve played on the present and winning in 2025, we’ll take the 26 guys on our Opening Day roster that we believe are going to best help us win games this year.”
“When I found out, initial thought was just, ‘Can’t do much about it,‘” Criswell said Tuesday. “Just kind of saw it on Twitter and reached out to my agent and stuff. Obviously can’t really do much about it. So just happy to be back and around the guys and make the most of the opportunities.”
Options can work in players favor at times. If a player who is out of options is struggling mightily, it might force the team to DFA him.
Boston signed Criswell in December 2023 after the Rays designated him for assignment. He is under team control through 2029.
He was a valuable piece last season, appearing in 26 games (18 starts) and posting a 4.08 ERA in 99 ⅓ innings.
“I started throwing the harder slider a little bit later in the year last year. That’s been a main focus this offseason,” Criswell said. “Like a gyro slider to try to get hitters to be off the sweeper a little bit. I think I need to throw the harder slider percentage-wise just as much as the sweeper this year, if not more. Just something harder with more depth and bite to it.”
He thinks the harder slider will make both his sweeper and sinker play better.
Criswell’s sinker averaged 89.1 mph last year. He continued to use weighted balls this offseason to try to increase his velo.
“It’s not the end of the world for me,” Criswell said about velo. “I would enjoy to be able to throw harder as long as the shapes of my pitches and movement stay the same. But yeah, I would say the weighted ball stuff, I’ve been consistent this offseason with it.”
He also has worked on his mechanics “trying to not leak a tiny bit early with the front half” like he did sometimes last year.
“So hopefully that helps,” he said. “And then just increase the flexibility in my hamstrings and lower back that I think will also help the velo.”
Breslow has built impressive starting depth. The Worcester rotation could include Criswell, Richard Fitts, Quinn Priester, Hunter Dobbins and 2016 AL Rookie of the Year Michael Fulmer.
Fitts was acquired from the Yankees in the Alex Verdugo trade in December 2023. Boston acquired Priester at the 2024 trade deadline from the Pirates for prospect Nick Yorke.
Boston selected Dobbins, a hard-throwing 25-year-old prospect, to the 40-man roster in November.
“I think any time you have that type of depth, ultimately those are the playoff teams and championship contenders that have those guys that if somebody does go down, they have somebody they can rely on and trust to bring up,” Criswell said. “We have a handful of those guys this year. It would be nice to see how it plays out.”
- BETTING: Check out our MA sports betting guide, where you can learn basic terminology, definitions and how to read odds for those interested in learning how to bet in Massachusetts.
