Garrett Crochet learned something from going through an extended round of rumors leading up to Tuesday’s MLB trade deadline.
“Maybe I need to throw away my phone next time,” the left-hander joked on Wednesday morning.
The deadline passed with Crochet still with the Chicago White Sox.
“Happy with exactly where I’m at,” Crochet said. “Everything typically happens for a reason. I think that ultimately the right move was made, and here I am. Just going to focus on my next start (on Saturday), keep going from there.”
Crochet met with reporters before Wednesday’s 10-3 loss in the series finale against the Kansas City Royals at Guaranteed Rate Field. Starter Drew Thorpe allowed six runs on seven hits in five innings as the Sox extended their franchise-record losing streak to 17 games.
The spotlight returned to the field after the Sox traded three players Monday (Michael Kopech, Erick Fedde and Tommy Pham) and three more Tuesday (Eloy Jiménez, Tanner Banks and Paul DeJong).
Crochet wasn’t among those moved, although his successful leap from the bullpen to the rotation had made him one of the most coveted pitchers.
“Garrett has had strong interest from clubs for obvious reasons,” general manager Chris Getz said on Tuesday. “He’s become one of the top starting pitchers in our game and his story kind of speaks for itself, his climb toward the top being a starting pitcher.
“We were having discussions with clubs up until the last hour. Obviously nothing came together. We didn’t feel like it was the right move to move Garrett although there was that strong interest.”
Crochet was glad that the deadline was behind him.
“Probably since May there’s been talk of guys going on the trade block, which is pretty early,” he said. “We’ve been dealing with that for about three months now.”
Crochet became a topic of discussion as he kept accumulating big numbers. This season he’s 6-8 with a 3.23 ERA and 160 strikeouts in 22 starts, earning All-Star honors along the way.
He’s pitched 114 1/3 innings, well past his previous innings high of 54 1/3 in 2021. That became an element in the reports that Crochet wanted an extension from any team that acquired him.
“Ultimately, whether a deal went through or not I don’t think was dependent on that being said or not,” Crochet said. “I think any team would see the amount of innings I threw last year and find it reasonable. I think that it was ultimately the right call.”
Getz addressed that Monday, saying he was “a little surprised and taken back by how they went about it.”
He added Tuesday, “I know that I talked (Monday) about Garrett and with the comments that his team had put out there. We are going to work past that. He’s a high-character individual. He is a competitor. He wants to be the best that he can be.
“And I don’t think anything is going to get in the way of him trying to accomplish that. We are in good standing. There’s going to be plenty of opportunity for Garrett and I to sit down and map out the remaining part of the year, just like we had been doing up until this point with so much of his attention on maintaining his health for his long term health and becoming the pitcher he wants to become.”
Crochet also believed things were in good standing.
“Kind of like I said about the innings that I had last year, anybody can understand where I’m coming from in that regard,” Crochet said. “I think it may have come across as greedy to some, but I think those in the industry realized it’s logical to have that line of thinking.”
And he thanked his teammates for voicing their support.
“We’ve got an incredible group of guys in here and guys that have always had each other’s back,” Crochet said. “I think that when things came out, everyone was very supporting. I continue to be supporting of them as well.”
He said the trade speculation was tougher for his family.
“Ultimately, for me, I get on a plane and I’m somewhere else,” Crochet said. “She (his wife Rachel) would have to move everything out of the apartment, set up a new apartment. We’ve got a dog, figure out what to do with the dog.
“So it’s a little more stressful on the family than it is for the player. But yeah, once the deadline came and went, a lot of stress was taken off of her shoulders.”
Crochet said he’s “open to anything,” when asked about extension talks.
As to whether he anticipates his name being mentioned again in trade speculation this winter, Crochet said, “Who’s to say.”
“Once the offseason hits you never know what can happen,” Crochet said. “Right now I’m just focused on getting through the season healthy and until then, who knows.”
