Red Sox's Garrett Crochet opens up about drama surrounding last season's contract talks
In December, the Chicago White Sox traded pitcher Garrett Crochet to the Boston Red Sox. Shortly after joining the Red Sox, Crochet made it clear he was seeking a long-term contract extension from his new team.
The request raised some eyebrows, considering the White Sox were not successful in their reported attempts to move Crochet ahead of last July's trade deadline. Crochet was also on an innings restriction last season, but he did manage to pitch 146 innings in 2024.
Crochet is projected to take the mound for the Red Sox on opening day next month. As April nears, the 25-year-old is sharing some details about what led to him being described as a "greedy" player.
"I know when it came out a lot of people were looking [at it] as greedy," Crochet said during an appearance on "Baseball Isn't Boring" in reference to his contract demands going public.
Crochet explained that his push for an extension centered around him moving from a reliever to a full-time starter.
"I didn't, by no means, feel like I was demanding it because I wanted money or security by itself. It was more so in the fact that I was establishing myself as a starter and kind of getting away from the idea that teams viewed me as a potential high-end reliever."
Crochet emerged from the bullpen 54 times in 2021 when he was with the White Sox. He was deployed as a reliever a total of 18 times in 2020, 2022 and 2023 due to injuries.
Crochet moved from the bullpen to the starting rotation last season, making 32 starts and finishing the year with a 3.58 ERA. Crochet acknowledged the important role his health played last season.
"I was having a good year, and I was staying healthy for the first time in my career," he said. "In 2020, flexor strain. In '21, I had the back thing.
"Then I blow out. … Now I'm starting on a set routine, and I'm feeling good every fifth day. And I'm able to go out and perform. Why should I jeopardize that for a team I don't really owe anything to?"
Barring a contract extension, Crochet would be eligible to enter the free agent market after the 2026 season.
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