Garrett Crochet: Red Sox Trade a ‘Big Relief’ After Months of Rumors with White Sox

Boston Red Sox starter Garrett Crochet is happy that his trade saga with the Chicago White Sox came to an end.

“It’s a big relief,” Crochet said on Friday, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). “It takes a lot of stress out of the way of, I suppose, in spring training being curious where we’re going to be living, the housing situation is tough to figure out, so it’s nice to kind of be ahead of the game in that regard.”

On Wednesday, Chicago dealt Crochet to Boston in exchange for a package of prospects headlined by catcher Kyle Teel.

The southpaw wrapped up a breakout 2024 campaign with the White Sox, earning the first All-Star nod of his career. After transitioning from the bullpen to a rotation role, Crochet thrived.

In 32 starts last season, he posted a 3.58 ERA and 1.068 WHIP. Crochet walked a mere 33 batters compared to 209 strikeouts in 146 innings of work, representing an impressive average of 12.9 strikeouts per nine innings.

Crochet was one of the few bright spots on a White Sox squad that finished with a record-breaking 121 losses. With two arbitration-eligible seasons left, several teams with postseason aspirations were eyeing him prior to the July 30 trade deadline.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported on June 20 that “every contending team” had interest in Crochet.

The trade buzz continued to surround the 25-year-old once the offseason started, increasing before he was finally moved to Boston. The Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Brewers, New York Mets and New York Yankees all reportedly expressed interest.

Crochet ultimately landed on the Red Sox, though. He’s expected to headline a rotation that also features Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford and Tanner Houck.

“The opportunity to play for the market of Boston, the fan base that’s representing the Red Sox is about as great of an opportunity as you can come by in this game,” Crochet said, per ESPN.

As the Red Sox look to improve upon a record of 81-81 and return to the postseason for the first time since 2021, Crochet will have a full offseason to adjust to the change of scenery and prepare for 2025.