‘A bittersweet feeling’: Crochet discusses being traded to Boston
CHICAGO — Garrett Crochet wondered what being dealt from the White Sox would feel like dating back to the 2024 Trade Deadline, when the left-hander’s name first frequently churned through the rumor mill.
It was something he tried imagining just to be prepared for the moment. That moment arrived on the afternoon of Dec. 11, when White Sox general manager Chris Getz called his former ace hurler with the official news.
“There’s definitely a bittersweet feeling,” Crochet told MLB.com during a Thursday phone interview from his home in Nashville, Tenn. “Feeling like the White Sox were the team that first believed in me. But I guess this game is such a business side of things that I’m just excited to be a Red Sox now.”
Crochet expected to be traded with the White Sox in the early stages of a full-on rebuild. In the moment, though, Crochet didn’t want to lose perspective on the Chicago organization’s commitment to him.
That move became important for the team and the player, as Crochet won the ‘24 American League Comeback Player of the Year award with 209 strikeouts against 33 walks over 146 innings and 32 starts. There were never any contract extension talks with the White Sox, according to Crochet, who joins ex-White Sox teammates Lucas Giolito, Liam Hendriks, Romy Gonzalez and possibly Seby Zavala in Boston.
“No, it never really got to that point,” Crochet said. “Had I had a season like this early in my career, that would be one thing. This is purely speculative, but I felt like where I was at service-time wise it was kind of the smart move for them.”
“What he did this past season was nothing short of excellent,” said Getz of Crochet. “Those are bittersweet conversations, but he understands certainly where we’re at currently as an organization because he lived through this past season.”
This past 2024 season featured the White Sox tying the 1988 Orioles for most consecutive AL losses at 21, running from a Game 2 defeat during a doubleheader against the Twins on July 10 through Aug. 6, when they beat the A’s. White Sox manager Pedro Grifol was replaced by interim manager Grady Sizemore two days later.
Their 121 losses overall stood as the most single-season defeats in the Modern Era (since 1901). Crochet was the voice of the team, having to answer numerous in-season questions about its failure.
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“We really were trying to win every game, everybody was working hard. I never felt like anybody had to get laid into or anything like that. We had created a good culture of work ethic and camaraderie.”
Luck rarely was on the White Sox side, according to Crochet.
“I remember so many games where I would get in the car on the way home and be like, ‘What the [heck] just happened?’ [Travis] Jankowski robbing the [potential Andrew Vaughn walk-off three-run] home run [in August]. It was like, ‘Dude, what is going on?’” Crochet said. “Most games you could find two or three moments where it’s like, ‘How does that not go our way?’ We truly seemed to be the most unlucky team, which happened to award us the most losingest team, which is tough.”
Catcher Kyle Teel (No. 25) and outfielder Braden Montgomery (No. 54), who are ranked in MLB Pipeline’s Top 100, were two of the four talented players acquired from Boston. They now become Chicago’s No. 2 and No. 5 prospects.
Crochet views that impressive return more as a compliment than any sort of pressure, ready to go from his first career opportunity to a championship opportunity.
“Part of me, when rumors and everything started going around, I was just thinking, ‘Damn, Chris. You better get a pretty big package because I value myself pretty highly. I hope you are able to cash in.’” Crochet said. “I think he did pretty well. Selfishly thinking, he put me in a pretty good spot where I can go and have success.”
