CHICAGO (AP) — Garrett Crochet has returned to Chicago’s South Side, where he’ll make his first start against his former team on Sunday.
He went 6-12 last season with a White Sox team that set the modern major league record with 121 losses. So it wasn’t tough for the 25-year-old left-hander to change his Sox.
The White Sox dealt the hard-throwing left-hander to the Boston Red Sox for four prospects last December.
After signing a six-year, $170 million contract with Boston on April 1, the 6-foot-6 Crochet said on Friday “it’s cool” to be back at Rate Field, but he’s on to bigger things.
"For me, it was not very hard to move on, honestly,” Crochet said, “Especially with going to the Red Sox, such a storied franchise. I was excited and I still am for what this team could accomplish."
Crochet was Boston’s opening day starter against Texas on March 27. He said the “electric” atmosphere at Fenway Park made it “one of the coolest games I’ve been a part of” and helped give him a fresh perspective.
“Last year with the White Sox we weren’t expecting to make the postseason and everyone in the locker room was hoping to make the roster," Crochet said. "This year, (with Boston) we obviously have bigger aspirations and the sense of urgency was great in camp.”
Crochet is 1-1 with a 1.45 ERA in three starts so far with the Red Sox. He finished seventh in the majors with 209 strikeouts last season and is hoping to “chasing greatness every time I touch the mound.
He said he wants to throw a complete-game no hitter and as soon as he gives up his first hit he thinks “let’s move on.”
"But it’s just seeing how many zeroes I can put up every time I go out there,” he added.
Crochet wasn’t surprised the White Sox got four prospects for him. One of them, Chase Meidroth, made his major league debut at second base on Friday against the Red Sox.
“I used to think about it that way, but at the same time I was was an All-Star, I was one of the best arms in the American League. I expected it to be that way,” Crochet said.
And does Crochet hope the deal works out well for the White Sox as well?
“Not really,” he said. “If it does, cool. If it doesn’t cool. I’m just hoping to keep stacking starts and make sure it works out for Boston.”
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