New Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet felt 'relief' after learning of trade
Trade rumors swirled for months that the White Sox could trade left-hander Garrett Crochet. Those rumors were finally put to bed when the Red Sox swung a five-player deal that would land the southpaw during the MLB Winter Meetings in Dallas.
“There was definitely a lot of relief when it finally came to fruition and I got the call from (Chicago White Sox GM Chris) Getz,” said Crochet on a call with reporters Friday. “A lot of people might view the trade as adding some chaos into your life, but for me, I felt like all of the chaos was stripped away. Worrying about it for eight months and knowing that it was kind of writing on the wall, it was nice to be able to put it behind me and look forward to the season.”
Crochet will now lead the Red Sox rotation heading into 2025, unless chief baseball officer Craig Breslow adds another top arm to the rotation. The lefty is looking forward to pitching in front of the fans at Fenway Park.
“It’s an electric atmosphere,” said Crochet. “The fans are knowledgeable about baseball, and not every fan base can say that. That’s probably the biggest thing that I look forward to. That, along with the fact that they expect you to win and they expect you to be great. They’ve seen it before. That’s the main thing I’m looking forward to.”
With the trade behind him, Crochet is focused on pitching for the Red Sox and a team that should be a contender heading into 2025. Crochet played on a White Sox team that lost 121 games this past season.
“In terms of how much (the losing) wears on you, you’re playing an individualized team sport,” he said. “All I was doing was the best that I could as far as my preparation and the work that I was putting in prior to games. And then going out there and giving all my effort on the field. It didn’t wear on me a whole lot because at the end of the day, I knew that I was contributing every ounce of energy to the team, and sometimes it just didn’t go my way.
“(Playing for a contender) is very exciting. I was in the playoffs in 2021, and shortly after I debuted in 2020, and they were early exits both times. That’s something that’s kind of stuck with me over the years—I know what the feeling is like, and I’d like to lengthen that as much as possible and make a deep run.”
Crochet will wear No. 35 as a member of the Red Sox, giving up his longtime No. 45, which belongs to a legend, Pedro Martinez. He wore No. 45 with the White Sox and also No. 14 (Jim Rice) and No. 34 (David Ortiz) in college.
“That was one of the first things that I realized after the trade went through,” said Crochet during a Zoom call with the media Friday. “And then I wore 34 in college, and so that one was retired.”
With all three numbers retired and unavailable, Crochet will wear a new number and create his own legacy in Boston, one where he can also meet Martinez and talk pitching with the icon.
“I think having any sort of conversation with Pedro would be my ideal world,” said Crochet.
