Left-hander Garrett Crochet and the Boston Red Sox are in agreement on a six-year, $170 million contract extension, sources told ESPN on Monday, keeping the 25-year-old ace with the organization that traded for him this winter to lead its rotation.

The deal starts in 2026 and includes an opt-out after the 2030 season, when Crochet would be 31. It guarantees him the most money ever for a player with four-plus years of service, trumping the five-year, $137.5 million contract Jacob deGrom signed with the New York Mets in 2019.

Though the sides had been discussing an extension for months, they hit roadblocks because of the difficulty in valuing Crochet. He has thrown only 224 innings in his career, spending 2020 and 2021 as a reliever, sitting out 2022 after Tommy John surgery, returning to the bullpen in 2023 and transitioning to the rotation with the Chicago White Sox last year. Because of his lack of bulk numbers, Crochet will make only $3.8 million this year after a breakout season in which he struck out 209 and walked 33 in 146 innings.

Boston rewarded him like a frontline starter nevertheless, enticing him with ace-level money that does not include any deferrals and keeping him from reaching free agency after the 2026 season.

The Red Sox saw enough from Crochet this spring to put to rest that possibility. Should he opt out after 2030, Crochet still could receive another nine-figure deal. Left-hander Max Fried, who was 31 on Opening Day this year, received an eight-year, $218 million free agent contract from the New York Yankees. And at 32, left-hander Blake Snell signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers for five years and $182 million.

With a fastball that reaches 100 mph and a dastardly cutter he added to his repertoire last season, Crochet is among the best left-handed pitchers in baseball — a factor in Boston paying heavily for him in dollars and players.

Giving up catcher Kyle Teel, outfielder Braden Montgomery, infielder Chase Meidroth and right-hander Wikelman Gonzalez in a trade for Crochet during the winter meetings illustrated the Red Sox were ready to transition from years of mediocrity to contention. With a solid major league core and the emergence of prospects Kristian Campbell — who is now starting at second base for Boston — outfielder Roman Anthony and shortstop Marcelo Mayer, the Red Sox spent the winter aggressively pursuing upgrades.

The signing of third baseman Alex Bregman to a three-year, $120 million contract and right-hander Walker Buehler to a one-year, $21.05 million deal added veteran big leaguers, though Crochet was the prize of the winter.

No pitcher who received a nine-figure contract had done so with fewer than 800 innings. That Crochet did with not even one-third of that speaks to the impression the 6-foot-6, 245-pound fireballer made on the Red Sox during his short time with the team.

Chosen No. 11 by the White Sox out of Tennessee in the 2020 draft, Crochet skipped straight to the major leagues, throwing six scoreless innings down the stretch of the COVID-shortened season. He remained in the big leagues the next year, serving as a high-leverage reliever for a White Sox team that won the American League Central Division.

Elbow reconstruction slowed Crochet’s ascent and kept him out for all of 2022 and all but 12⅔ innings in 2023. Chicago’s decision to move him into the rotation proved prophetic, as Crochet made the AL All-Star team and was perhaps the most sought-after player at the trade deadline.

With a planned shutdown to limit his innings, Crochet let teams know that he would pitch only for a contender if given a contract extension. No team obliged the request, and Crochet spent the final three months of the season throwing no more than four innings per start.

Chicago put him back on the trade block over the winter and struck a blockbuster with Boston, which expressed interest in extending Crochet and eventually came to terms on a deal that can max out at $180 million with escalators.

LOS ANGELES — Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar tested positive for a banned substance and will begin an 80-game suspension Monday, for the start of a three-game series at Dodger Stadium. Profar tested positive for chorionic gonadotropin, a performance-enhancing drug, according to Major League Baseball.

Profar will be eligible to return to the Braves on June 29 against Philadelphia but will be ineligible for the 2025 postseason as part of his suspension.

Profar, 32, signed a $1 million contract with the San Diego Padres in February 2024 and put together the best offensive season of his career last season, slashing .280/.380/.459 with 24 homers and 85 RBIs in 158 games. The Braves signed him to a three-year, $42 million deal in January to make him their everyday left fielder.

In a statement sent by the MLB Players’ Association, Profar called Monday “the most difficult day of my baseball career” and said he was “devastated” by the news. Profar added that he was tested eight times for PEDs in 2024 and “never tested positive.”

“This is especially painful for me because anyone who knows me and has seen me play knows I am deeply passionate about the game,” Profar wrote as part of his statement. “There is nothing I love more than competing with my teammates and being a fan favorite. I want to apologize to the entire Braves organization, my teammates, and the fans. It is because of my deep love and respect for this game that I would never knowingly do anything to cheat it.”

The Braves posted a statement on X, saying, “we were surprised and extremely disappointed to learn that Jurickson Profar tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance in violation of Major League Baseball’s Joint Prevention and Treatment Program. We fully support the Program and are hopeful that Jurickson will learn from this experience.”

The substance hCG is a hormone that helps in the production of testosterone, according to the Cleveland Clinic, as cited by The Associated Press.

Profar’s suspension, which is without pay, comes after a brutal opening weekend for the Braves, who were swept in a four-game series by the Padres while scoring a combined seven runs — including zero over the last 22 innings.

Profar’s absence hurts the short-handed Braves. Outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. is not expected back from the injured list for another month. Jarred Kelenic and Bryan De La Cruz have been platooning in right field in Acuna’s absence. With Profar gone, the Braves can also turn as a down-the-road option to Alex Verdugo, who was signed to a $1.5 million deal March 20 and optioned to the minor leagues to get at-bats.

For now however, the Braves acquired outfielder Stuart Fairchild from the Cincinnati Reds for cash considerations earlier Monday and added him to the 40-man roster. He’s expected to join them on Tuesday. The Braves will go one player short against the Dodgers Monday night.

The New York Mets have traded outfielder Alexander Canario to the Pittsburgh Pirates for cash considerations, the Pirates announced on Monday.

Canario was designated for assignment Thursday hours before the Mets’ season opener. He had traveled with the club from spring training in Florida to Houston last week to participate in the Mets’ workout Wednesday, but the team’s outfield glut rendered him a long shot to make the roster.

New York’s Opening Day roster included six outfielders: Juan Soto, Brandon Nimmo, Tyrone Taylor, Jose Siri, Starling Marte and Jesse Winker. Despite a strong camp, there just wasn’t room for Canario, who was out of minor-league options.

Jose Azocar, another outfielder, was also designated for assignment by the Mets on Thursday. The 28-year-old Azocar, however, cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Syracuse.

Canario’s combination of youth — he’s 24 years old — and tools made him attractive to other teams. The right-handed hitter, who was traded from the San Francisco Giants to the Chicago Cubs in July 2021 as part of a trade for Kris Bryant, made his major-league debut with the Cubs in 2023. He appeared in 21 games for the team over the last two seasons, batting .286 with two home runs and two doubles in 45 plate appearances.

The Cubs designated Canario for assignment in late February to make room on their 40-man roster for Justin Turner. The Mets acquired him for cash days later. Canario reported straight to Port St. Lucie for spring training where he slashed .306/.419/.611 with three home runs in 17 games. He’ll now be with his third organization in just over a month.