The Red Sox are bringing Garrett Whitlock back for 2027, picking up his $8.25 million club option, according to Andrew Parker of SoxProspects.com. That keeps the right-hander in place as Boston’s primary setup arm ahead of closer Aroldis Chapman.
For the Red Sox, this was a straightforward decision. Whitlock, 30, has now put together back-to-back standout seasons in the bullpen, and his 2025 work only reinforced how valuable he’s become.
After missing most of 2024 because of an internal brace procedure on his right elbow, he returned and posted a 2.25 ERA over 72 innings in 2025. His 31.1% strikeout rate, 8.2% walk rate and 45.1% ground ball rate all checked in better than league average, and he gave up just two homers all year - 0.25 HR/9, the second-best mark in baseball among pitchers with at least 60 innings pitched.
He was even sharper this season in several key areas. Whitlock trimmed his ERA to 1.72 across 52 1/3 innings and struck out just under 30% of the hitters he faced.
The ground-ball rate dipped, but he made up for it by limiting walks at an elite clip. Among relievers with at least 50 innings, his 4.5% walk rate ranked fourth, just behind Phillies closer Jhoan Duran at 4.2%.
FanGraphs credited Whitlock’s 2025-26 performance with 4.2 wins above replacement, tying him with Chapman and Twins/Blue Jays righty Louis Varland for fifth among qualified relievers.
Whitlock’s workload was reduced by a series of injuries this year. He missed two weeks in May and June with left knee inflammation, then sat out another two and a half weeks in August because of right elbow inflammation.
He also allowed three earned runs while getting four outs in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series against the Yankees. After the series, it was revealed that he had been pitching through a fractured tibia for most of September.
He did not need surgery and is expected to be fully healthy by Spring Training.
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