Garrett Crochet is slated to be a big part of the White Sox pitching mix in 2022, even if his longer-term role is still up in the air. The Sox certainly have designs on eventually moving the 11th overall pick of the 2020 draft into the rotation, though the reigning AL Central champions already have a tentative starting five in place for the coming season. Plus, “it sure seems like the White Sox can little afford to leave Crochet out of their 2022 bullpen plans,” NBC Sports Chicago’s Vinnie Duber writes, as Craig Kimbrel is a popular trade candidate and the club might need Crochet to provide further depth and quality in the relief corps.
Because of the canceled 2020 minor league season, Crochet has never made even a single appearance in a minor league game, going right from the draft to Chicago’s alternate training site in 2020 and then onto the big league roster. In theory, at least a short stint in the minors would help Crochet get properly stretched out as a starter and acclimated to rotation work, though then he wouldn’t be available to provide immediate help for a White Sox team that plans to contend this year. Stretching him out during the season has its own set of pros and cons, as that tactic also wouldn’t necessarily mean Crochet was being used in optimal fashion towards helping the Sox win games. Duber figures the team’s post-lockout moves will provide a hint to Crochet’s role, since if the White Sox added some other relief depth, Crochet could then be transitioned more smoothly to starting pitching.
More from around the American League…
- Rays right-hander Seth Johnson “was a popular ask by teams at the trade deadline,” Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times reports. The 40th overall pick of the 2019 draft, Johnson has posted a 2.77 ERA and 28.11% strikeout rate over his first 110 2/3 professional innings. MLB Pipeline ranks the righty as the 16th-best prospect in Tampa’s farm system, and Pipeline’s scouting report notes that Johnson could have more room to grow than most pitchers since he barely saw any mound work prior to 2019. While any team is loath to part with a good pitching prospect, the Rays haven’t been hesitant to move quality minor leaguers if the right trade comes along, and it can be argued that Tampa Bay’s success at developing young arms might make them more likely to deal from this depth (whether it be Johnson or another pitcher).
- With the Guardians still in need of outfield help, Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer feels the club is more likely to address this need via the trade market than through a free agent signing. Cleveland already made one prominent swap for an outfielder back at the trade deadline, landing Myles Straw (now penciled in as their starting center fielder) from the Astros. Both corner slots are still question marks, and while several options are available in free agency, the Guardians have been traditionally hesitant about spending significant dollars on free agents.
I love baseball, I don’t like this
My apologies, I wasn’t specific —It’s the Guardians I can’t connect to. Big fan back in the 70’s & 80’s. Many BB cards & memorabilia. It’s sad. I’m going to miss baseball ..RIP
@Curly, agree, they just cut out part of the history because of being “politically correct”….
History is ripe with errors in which change is necessary after the passage of time.
If that’s true, I’m sure your birth will be retconned as well
This right here is a perfect example of why these forums are so toxic.
Wow Fletch, that was completely uncalled for.
Sounds like you stopped caring like 40 years ago so I dunno why you’re posting
When you stop caring, if it’s 20 or 30 0r 40 years ago, you stop being viable. You get it?
Weird you weren’t a fan in the 90’s.
Crochet is a reliever, and a good one. Accept it and move on.
Chris Sale
If you’re hoping for Chris Sale, you’ll be disappointed.
I mean, we’re talking about the same progression path here. i doubt he’s Sale, but at this point assuming he wolnt be doesnt do CHW any good.
Starter in college. I certainly would not count out a starting job.
The White Sox aren’t accepting Garrett Crochet exclusively as a bullpen pitcher at this stage of his career. Thus far, they have had Crochet on a nearly equal path to the rotation that they implemented with Chris Sale when they drafted the ‘Condor’ back in 2010.
The White Sox have utilized a similar transition mode with other starters in their recent past including fellow southpaws Jose Quintana and Carlos Rodon. The White Sox likely wouldn’t have spent a first round pick (#11 overall) on Crochet if they felt he was strictly going to be a reliever coming out of college.
They also eased Buehrle into a stater’s role from the bullpen.
It does seem to be almost an exclusive White Sox approach. The only other big first round lefty I recall utilized like that was David Price when they shuffled him into the bp during a playoff run.
Making stuff up out of thin air again. The White Sox did not use a similar transition mode with fellow southpaws Jose Quintana and Carlos Rodon.
The similarities were mostly in their fast-tracking to MLB debuts. Carlos Rodon was promoted all the way up to AAA Charlotte after being the White Sox #1 June Draft pick in 2014. He was a Scott Boras client and didn’t sign his bonus until right before the July deadline. He was fast-tracked from Rookie ball to A+ Winston-Salem to AAA Charlotte in a two month time span. There was talk he might even make his MLB debut with the White Sox as a September call-up but the team wasn’t a contender in 2014 like they were in 2010 when Chris Sale made his bullpen debut in August due to injuries with the big club. Rodon did make his MLB debut in the White Sox bullpen three weeks into the following season on April 21st when he was guaranteed another full year of service time before hitting potential free agency in 2022. Rodon’s time in the pen was short lived with only 3 appearances before he began starting games with a team that was a pretender rather than a true AL Central contender.
Jose Quintana also had a brief bullpen debut with the White Sox in 2012 after passing through the Mets and Yankees organizations splitting time between the bullpen and rotation. Garrett Crochet’s timeline to the rotation is more in line with that of Chris Sale. Both made their MLB debut in the bullpen on contending teams. Sale spent all of his second season in the pen while Crochet figures to have one extra season relieving with the White Sox before he transitions to the rotation in 2023, on a similar path to that of Michael Kopech from last season.
Dumpster Diving Rick
Crochet would be part of a tight-knit group of players!
Won’t need to worry about giving Crochet the hook.
I see what you did there.
As long as he has pin point accuracy.
You guys are bobbing and weaving here I see.
This is a good thread.
Dumpster Diving Rick
Agreed @ simondlap above: I’m sure we’ll have less than a semi quavers hesitance to make a note to tune in and see how Crochet conducts himself…. .
Here all week (or all effing summer if the 30 stooges keep the doors locked)…..
I resemble that remark & there is only 3 of us thank you
It’s good to know that if you leave your drink across town you can use Myles Straw.
What are the Guardians?
The Commanders of Cleveland.
One step above The Cleveland Baseball Team.
The Guardians of social justice
the baseball team that plays in cleveland, get with the times.
Can we go back to the times before we had men in women’s sports and questions about which bathroom to use please?
And hurting people’s feelings with every word spoken.
TV: no, thank God.
Another example of why these forums are so toxic.
The bitter ignorance…
What about a trade of Mitch Haniger for Nolan Jones and Gabriel Arias?
Haniger isn’t worth that much
That’s a lot for a rental
Not necessarily a rental, but for a player with one year left
I think one year left constitutes a rental. Obviously a trade deadline two month left deal is the most rental of them all but everything under one year = rental imho. And Jones and Arias, two players who have been in many top 100 lists, is a ridiculous overpay.
Rental. Rewind be kind.
Way too much.
I’ll take Norah Jones and Gabriel Iglesias.
If the Sox eventually want to move Crochet into the rotation, they could put him in the role Kopech was in this year. Multiple innings at a time out of the pen, spot start here and there. Then you could slowly introudce him into the role and see if he can handle it.
Crochet is an accident about to happen.
Nobody listening
Hopefully someday Cleveland will get another major league team to replace Dolan’s AAAA team.
AAA team? Typically one of the best pitching staffs in baseball and in the playoff hunt year after year?
Pitching staff is all that but their Single A outfields drag ’em down.
Brilliant comment, it’s obvious you haven’t watched much baseball as despite keeping a tight budget they’re in the hunt every year.
They keep tinkering around with Crochet saying different things all the time. Last season they went out saying he wouldn’t pitch more than one inning s game after saying they still view him as a starter. Honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if the didn’t have even the foggiest of a clue what they actually have planned for him to do. I’ve always thought packaging him and Kimbrel together for someone like McNeil+Davis or something like that would make sense. One more year of use out of the pen and his value drops considerably… if indeed he does pitch out of the pen this season… if the Sox even have a plan for him this season…bif there even ends up being a season.
Deciding what go do with Crochet seems to have the White Sox front office tied up in knots.
The White Sox would love to acquire left-handed hitting Jeff McNeil from the Mets to fill their 2B hole for the next 3 years of his arbitration eligibility. Mets teammate J.D. Davis has similar control but would not be needed on the southside of Chicago as a defensively challenged right-handed hitting 1B, 3B and LF.
The White Sox would need to pony up more for McNeil than one year of Craig Kimbrel at $16MM even if the Mets front office had a crystal ball indicating a return to form of the future HOF closer. My guess is that the Mets would deal McNeil to the White Sox straight up for Garrett Crochet. I’m also guessing that Rick Hahn will exhaust every opportunity to trade Kimbrel before dangling Crochet in any post-lockout deal to address their 2B hole, be it with the Mets. Phillies, Yankees or any other team that might have a ‘spare’ 2B to trade.
If Hahn is open to trading Crochet it should only be in a package for an elite young talent like Diamondback 2B Ketel Marte who also comes with 3 more years of team control. Arizona would want more than Crochet if they actually put Marte up for auction ahead of spring training. That “more” would be somebody like 1B Andrew Vaughn which is probably too steep a price for the ChiSox.
Amed Rosario to Cincinnati for aristades Aquino to the guardians. Helps both teams
Rosario has proven useful over more than six weeks, unlike Aquino.
The guy that’s hit .170 and .190 the past 2 seasons? No thanks.
@curly.. I get you. Go Tribe!
I do not have my hopes up as Crochet likely winds up having TJS within the next two years anyway.. Then again with the millionaires and billionaires bickering again, who knows if there will be a season this year.
If Crochet can thrive as a starter, Sox will be able to absorb the loss of Keuchel after this year without going to the FA market. That hope is the best reason to keep him, rather than trade him as part of a deal for a 2B.
they will always be the Cleveland Indians just ask Rick Vaughn Pedro Serrano and Jake Taylor
CLE will ultimately trade for OF help. As long as the player(s) are at AAA and have many years of control. Oh and are career .250 hitters or less. That’s what the Ivy Leaguers in the front office like. Produce really good pitching but no offense. Cause it’s great losing 3-1 most nights and that will sell lots of tickets and merch for Dollars Dolan.
Would like Sox to hang on to Crochet but if they have to move him it best be for a durable everyday player. The A’s Chapman would be one , the other JP Crawford. Sox were below average at turning DP’s which are needed to bolster and backup any reliever. Sox have given the A’s their future talent many times. Why stop now. If the want to give up Montas I would do it.
What would they want with Chapman when they already have Moncada? Your last idea, Montas, is more like it, but I’d rather keep Crochet, considering the higher potential.
RIP baseball says the guy replying on a message board for an article about the American League in the middle of February. Laughable.
I like Crotchet but his dip in velocity after the playoff series injury against the A’s is worrisome. He will almost certainly lose more velocity pitching out of a starting role as well. Having said that, he was still solid last year. I’d feel much better about the switch to starter if he regained his velocity this year.
If Crochet is anything like his future stars card in mlb the show 21 he’s gonna be a beast
The ‘Guard’ [puke] doesn’t need an outfielder.. They need a cleanup hitter. Only ideally ‘also’ an outfielder. Still have plenty of OFs who can come into a game and catch the ball.