Chicago White Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet made his first public comments about the demands he made that arguably harmed his trade value prior to Tuesday’s deadline.
Crochet said he had no regrets about going public with his desire for a long-term contract in the event of any trade, as well as his reluctance to pitch out of the bullpen. The 25-year-old said he did not think his public stances significantly impacted trade talks, and suggested he would do it again.
“Whether a deal went through or not, I don’t think was dependent on that being said or not,” Crochet said Wednesday, via Jesse Rogers of ESPN. “I think that any team would see the amount of innings I threw last year and find it reasonable, so ultimately I think it was the right call.
“Anyone can understand where I’m coming from in that regard,” Crochet added of his contract request. “I think it may have come across as greedy to some, but those in the industry realize that its logical to have that line of thinking.”
Crochet, who leads the AL in strikeouts, was viewed as one of the top arms that could potentially be traded at the July 30 deadline. However, the preconditions Crochet put out publicly raised some questions, and White Sox GM Chris Getz suggested they did have an impact on Crochet’s market. Based on Crochet’s quotes, the two sides still aren’t quite on the same page regarding what happened here.
Ultimately, Crochet was not traded by the deadline. It would not be a surprise to see the White Sox revisit the possibility in the offseason, when contract extensions and innings limits should be less pressing issues.
