White Sox GM calls out Garrett Crochet and his agency for contract drama

The Chicago White Sox are 27-81, historically awful and far removed from the faintest whiff of contention. As such, there isn't a more obvious seller ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline. We've already seen Tommy Pham and Erick Fedde sent to the St. Louis Cardinals and Michael Kopech to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a rare three-team blockbuster. Odds are that is the first domino of many to fall for this White Sox team.

Aside from maybe Luis Robert Jr., there isn't a more coveted trade asset than top-line starter Garrett Crochet. The 25-year-old, under team control through 2026, leads the American League in strikeouts with 160 through 114.1 innings pitched. He has a 3.23 ERA and 1.01 WHIP, squarely in the AL Cy Young race despite his team's broader incompetence.

With the market squeezed due to an overabundance of buyers, the demand for starting pitching is sky high. Crochet's age, stuff, and contract make him — on the surface — the most desirable pitcher available. That was the case until last Friday, at least, when Crochet's representation dropped a bomb to the media.

Crochet has told prospective buyers that he will not start in the playoffs unless he gets an extension. Moreover, Crochet won't move to the bullpen, as he views the starting routine as his best bet to remain healthy.

That report was delivered by ESPN's Jeff Passan and it sent shockwaves through the MLB fandom. Suddenly, Crochet went from a prized trade deadline gem to a talented player with baggage. Crochet's demands are totally understandable — he has already doubled his single-season career high for innings and he's a couple years removed from Tommy John surgery — but rarely do very public trade candidates make very public proclamations about potentially holding out on their next team.

It's safe to say Crochet's tactics didn't go over well with White Sox GM Chris Getz and the Chicago front office.

"The communication had been very strong between Garrett and I and his agency. I was a little surprised and taken aback by how they went about it, considering I had a conversation with his agent the night before," said Getz, h/t ESPN's Jesse Roger. "That’s not exactly the tactic I would have taken, being a former player."

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White Sox GM Chris Getz takes issue with Garrett Crochet trade deadline strategy

In short, Getz conversed with Crochet's agent the night before, then was completely blindsided by the public demands. It's always a plus when players stand their ground and self-advocate — Crochet has every right to ask for guaranteed money before his stresses his arm with a postseason run — but, it does seem like bad form to keep Chicago out of the loop.

We obviously don't know the full story, only what Getz said to reporters, but Crochet's bombshell certainly has repercussions. It completely changes the trade market, nixing teams who aren't willing to extend a relatively fresh-faced, unproven pitcher for $100 million-plus. It also drives down the return price in a potential deal, as teams will pay extra for two years of control below market value. Crochet has earned market value this season, but from the team perspective, it's preferable to underpay, not overpay or adequately pay.

This doesn't sound like anything too destructive. Crochet hasn't torched his relationship with the organization, nor has his decision completely vanquished the trade market. There's still a very real chance Crochet ends up on the move before tomorrow's deadline, especially with aggressive spenders, such as the Los Angeles Dodgers and Baltimore Orioles (hey now!) in pursuit.

Crochet got his message across effectively. That much is certain. There is no ambiguity about what he requires to pitch deep into October. Now, could the White Sox have handled these revelations internally and revealed them to teams in a more private manner? Sure, but Crochet doesn't want to risk it or leave any doubts about his intentions, which is understandable.

Now, we wait to see if Chicago moves their upstart ace, or keeps him and revisits a potential trade in the offseason.