The Chicago White Sox are not happy with Garrett Crochet’s public stances prior to the trade deadline, and are no longer staying silent about it.
White Sox GM Chris Getz publicly criticized Crochet and his representatives, blaming them for some of the leaks that have been made about Crochet’s supposed demand for a new contract and his refusal to pitch in relief. Getz suggested he had honest dealings with Crochet’s camp in private, but then heard about conflicting demands publicly.
“The communication had been very strong between Garrett and I and his agency,” Getz said, via Jesse Rogers of ESPN. “I was a little surprised and taken aback by how they went about it, considering I had a conversation with his agent the night before. That’s not exactly the tactic I would have taken, being a former player, just because the dialogue has been so honest and real and careful and mindful of his career. I was a little surprised by it. I was.”
Getz said he found Crochet’s concerns to be understandable, but he had gone about them in a “hurtful” way and that things could have been worked out in private. The White Sox GM also conceded that Crochet’s stance had “created some questions” regarding how robust Crochet’s trade market would be.
Crochet has suggested to teams that he wants to protect his long-term health, and would demand a long-term contract extension before agreeing to pitch in October. Those demands reportedly limited Crochet’s trade market and also privately infuriated the White Sox, who were looking to maximize Crochet’s value on the market before the July 30 trade deadline.
The 25-year-old Crochet leads the AL with 160 strikeouts on the season, and has a 3.23 ERA in 22 starts.
