Garrett Crochet may have thrown his last in a White Sox uniform. But despite grinding through a record-setting season in futility, the 29-year-old says he would be open to sticking around long-term.
Crochet made his final start of the season against the Tigers on Friday, throwing four scoreless innings to lower his ERA to 3.58. He allowed just four hits and struck out six. But it didn’t come without a little drama. Interim manager Grady Sizemore rolled the dice and left Crochet in to face Trey Sweeney after Crochet allowed a pair of singles and his only walk of the day to load the bases. Sizemore’s gamble paid off when Crochet got Sweeney to ground out on a 99 mph sinker, in what might have been his final pitch with the team that drafted him.
The White Sox attempted to trade Crochet at the trade deadline, but their plans were derailed after he announced he would not pitch in the postseason without a contract decision. The announcement caught White Sox general manager Chris Getz off guard and scared away some potential suitors. In the end, no team was able to match Getz’s high asking price so the White Sox opted to hang onto Crochet and try again in the offseason.
In the meantime, the team placed him in bubble wrap. During a June 30th start against the in he carved up the Rockies lineup, allowing just two runs through seven innings while striking out 11 batters to take the MLB lead in strikeouts. It was the last time the White Sox allowed Corchet to pitch into the fifth inning in an effort to keep him healthy. Crochet went on to throw four innings or less in his final 13 starts.
Crochet spoke to members of the media on Thursday saying that he would be open to signing an extension with the White Sox saying that he likes the pieces the organization has in place and that he has “a lot of trust in Getz.” However, the two sides reportedly engaged in extension talks earlier in the year but were unable to come to an agreement.
“I would be receptive to conversations,” Crochet said. “Those conversations are not reliant on only myself and what I might want. I know that (GM Chris) Getz does everything with the team’s future in mind. So I think we can trust that to be true.”
Crochet was one of the lone bright spots on the White Sox this season. He posted a 35.1% strikeout rate, which ranked in the top two percent in the MLB. He also owned a strong 5.5% walk rate and 45.1% ground ball rate. Given he is under team control through 2026, Getz feels he can get a decent haul of prospects in return.
Keeping Crochet also comes with risk. His All-Star season was his first as a starter after missing two seasons due to injury. But Crochet is only 25 years old and a contract extension would allow the White Sox to have a top-of-the-rotation starter locked up long-term and give fans something worth paying to see while they embark on a lengthy rebuild process.
The odds of Crochet remaining a White Sox by opening day next season are slim. But Corchet’s comments suggest he wants to play a role in the team’s turnaround.
