So when he took the mound Wednesday night at Camden Yards, barely a day after agreeing to a six-year, $170 million contract extension with the Boston Red Sox, Crochet enjoyed a freedom so unfamiliar that he couldn’t place the most recent time he felt it.

In his first start since agreeing to a $170 million, six-year contract, Garrett Crochet pitched a career-best eight innings as the Red Sox shut out the Orioles 3-0 on Wednesday night.

Crochet is now under team control through 2031. The Red Sox have several other young players who could also be in-line for new deals.