CHICAGO (670 The Score) – White Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet, a bright spot in the team’s miserable season, is open to contract extension discussions with the club as he has two years left on his contract.
Crochet made that clear Thursday before the White Sox hosted the Angels at Guaranteed Rate Field in their home finale. Crochet’s future is top of mind because he’s a coveted trade chip whom the rebuilding organization intends to listen to offers on this winter.
At least seven teams expressed interest in the 25-year-old Crochet ahead of the trade deadline this season, but Crochet’s representation made it known that he wanted a contract extension if he was to pitch in the playoffs for a new team, a development that complicated discussions. Trade talks are expected to be revisited this offseason, but Crochet is also open to hearing from the White Sox as well on the contract front.
“I would be receptive to conversations,” Crochet said when asked about his desire to remain in Chicago. “Those conversations are not reliant on only myself and what I might want. I know that (GM Chris) Getz does everything with the team's future in mind. So I think we can trust that to be true.”
Crochet earned All-Star honors this season, his first as a starter in MLB. He has posted a 3.68 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in 142 innings across 31 starts while striking out 203 batters.
Crochet has usually been limited to around 60 pitches per outing since the All-Star break as part of the White Sox’s plan to reduce his workload in his first full season as a starter. He'll make his final start of the season Friday, when the White Sox visit the Tigers.
Despite the White Sox entering play Thursday with 120 losses, which tied the MLB record for the most in a single season, Crochet struck an optimistic tone.
"I like the pieces we have and I like the relationships I have developed with this staff,” Crochet said when asked why he’d want to stay with a 120-loss team. "I have a lot of trust in Getz and everybody in our clubhouse. Now it's just a matter of letting our young guys develop and get more reps. You can kind of see things coming together throughout the year. I can just see the pitching plan coming together.”
Crochet made $800,000 in 2024 and is arbitration-eligible again this winter, when his salary figures to triple.
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.