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Garrett Crochet

White Sox Select Davis Martin

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The White Sox announced Tuesday that they’ve selected the contract of righty Davis Martin from Triple-A Charlotte and transferred lefty Garrett Crochet to the 60-day injured list in order to open a spot on the 40-man roster. The move involving Crochet was a formality after the southpaw underwent Tommy John surgery earlier this year. Martin will start the second game of today’s doubleheader, per the Sox. Chicago also placed right-hander Michael Kopech on the paternity list and called up right-hander Kyle Crick as the 27th man for today’s twin bill.

It’ll be the Major League debut for Martin, 25, who was the ChiSox’ 14th-round pick back in 2018. He entered the season ranked 22nd among Chicago farmhands over at FanGraphs and can’t have hurt his stock with a strong performance so far. Maritn opened the season in Double-A Birmingham, where he notched a 3.38 ERA with a huge 32.4% strikeout rate against a tidy 6.9% walk rate. His strikeout rate has dipped to 18.6% in a smaller sample of two Triple-A starts, but Martin has also walked just 4.7% of his Triple-A opponents while pitching to a 1.50 ERA there. Overall, he’s sporting a combined 2.50 ERA and 41-to-9 K/BB ratio through 36 frames between the minor leagues’ top two levels.

After seeing the fruits of their last rebuild (e.g. Luis Robert, Michael Kopech, Lucas Giolito, Dylan Cease, Eloy Jimenez) graduate to the Majors (to say nothing of names like Dane Dunning and Nick Madrigal, who were traded for veterans) the Sox have a notoriously thin farm system. That doesn’t, however, mean it’s totally devoid of depth, and Martin certainly has the makings of a potentially useful spot starter or back-of-the-rotation option. Given that the South Siders currently have Lance Lynn and Lucas Giolito on the injured list, having some optionable rotation depth is of increased importance.

That said, Giolito is expected to return from the Covid-related injured list perhaps as soon as tomorrow. The Athletic’s James Fegan tweets that he’s expected to start Wednesday’s game, pushing the remainder of the rotation back a day. Lynn, meanwhile, is slated to throw to hitters Friday as he works back from knee surgery.

Even with Giolito and perhaps Lynn not too far off on the horizon, there should be ample opportunities for Martin if he impresses in today’s spot start and continues to impress down the line in the upper minors. The Sox are likely going to be judicious with Michael Kopech’s workload, and both Dallas Keuchel and Vince Velasquez have struggled mightily in the season’s first six weeks. Johnny Cueto was brilliant in yesterday’s White Sox debut, giving the team a much-needed boost after having his contract selected from Triple-A — he’d inked a minor league deal in early April — but other injuries and absences will surely open additional doors for Martin and others from the farm to make an impact.

Garrett Crochet To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

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TODAY: Crochet has decided to get the surgery, the reliever told MLB.com’s Scott Merkin and other reporters.

APRIL 1: Just minutes after announcing the headline-grabbing trade of Craig Kimbrel to the Dodgers in exchange for outfielder AJ Pollock, White Sox general manager Rick Hahn announced that lefty Garrett Crochet is likely to require Tommy John surgery (Twitter link, with video, via Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times).

“The preliminary MRI reading is not great,” said Hahn. “There appears to be some damage to the ligament, which will very likely require Tommy John surgery.” Hahn added that Crochet will first seek a second opinion.

Crochet, 22, has all the makings of a star reliever — if not eventually a high-end member of the Chicago rotation. Drafted out of the University of Tennessee with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2020 draft, Crochet made his Major League debut just months later, joining the Sox late in the 2020 season. He spent the entire 2021 campaign in the Chicago bullpen as well.

Thus far, through 60 2/3 innings at the MLB level, Crochet boasts a 2.54 ERA with a 29% strikeout rate, a 10.7% walk rate and a 42.1% ground-ball rate. Crochet has averaged better than 97 mph on his heater that can reach triple digits and notched above-average swinging-strike rates. That said, Crochet did give the Sox an injury scare in 2020, when he saw hit the injured list with a flexor strain following a velocity dip. He returned and managed a healthy 2021 season, with the exception of a back injury that knocked him out for a few weeks, but Crochet’s arm appeared healthy until he exited yesterday’s Cactus League game with a trainer.

If Tommy John surgery is required, the Sox would be without Crochet for the entirety of the 2022 season and quite likely for the early portion of the 2023 campaign. Crochet would continue to accrue service time while rehabbing on the 60-day injured list, although given that he’s currently sitting on just 1.028 years of service, the Sox can still control him all the way through the 2026 campaign.

With Crochet out of the mix and Kimbrel traded, Chicago’s back-of-the-game options consist of closer Liam Hendriks, lefty setup man Aaron Bummer and righty setup man Kendall Graveman. Veteran Joe Kelly, who joined the Sox on a two-year deal this winter, will be an option before too long but is expected to miss the first couple weeks of the season after getting a late start in camp (due to a late 2021 biceps injury that slowed his offseason regimen and put him a bit behind schedule).

AL Notes: Crochet, Johnson, Guardians

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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.

White Sox Place Garrett Crochet On IL, Activate Luis Robert

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The White Sox announced that lefty Garrett Crochet has been placed on the 10-day IL (retroactive to April 26) with an upper back strain. The South Siders also reinstated center fielder Luis Robert from the injured list and called up infielder Danny Mendick to serve as the 27th man for today’s twin bill against the Tigers.

Crochet’s ascension to and dominance in the Majors has been rather remarkable. The 21-year-old was the No. 11 overall pick out of Tennessee last year but was in the big leagues just months later and even made Chicago’s postseason roster. Counting that lone appearance in the AL Wild Card Series, which saw him depart early due to a left forearm strain, he’s pitched 15 2/3 innings and held opponents to one earned run (plus three unearned) on 12 hits and five walks with 18 strikeouts. Crochet averaged 100.2 mph on his heater in 2020, though that average velo is down to “only” 96.6 mph early in 2021.

The Sox have yet to give any indication as to how long Crochet might be sidelined. His absence leaves Aaron Bummer as the only southpaw option in the bullpen, and the Sox don’t have another lefty option on the 40-man roster to call up as a replacement. They do have a trio of non-roster lefties slated to open the year in Triple-A, however: Jacob Lindgren, Kodi Medeiros and Nik Turley.

Robert returns after just a couple days away from the roster. He’d been on the Covid list after reporting symptoms but looks to have been quickly tested negative and been cleared to play. Mendick will return for a brief look after going 6-for-16 with five walks and five strikeouts in 21 plate appearances earlier this season. He’s a .272/.320/.401 hitter in 175 plate appearances and can play all over the infield.

White Sox Notes: Vaughn, Fry, Crochet, Kopech, Roster

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White Sox general manager Rick Hahn met with reporters yesterday as pitchers and catchers reported to camp, touching on a number of topics pertaining to a bolstered 2021 roster. Perhaps most notably, Hahn indicated that top prospect Andrew Vaughn, the No. 3 overall pick from the 2019 draft, is “very much in the mix” to make the Opening Day roster (Twitter link via Daryl Van-Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times). Chicago was at times connected to potential DH candidates throughout the winter, but part of the reason the Sox opted not to bring in a dedicated DH was due to their belief that Vaughn could emerge as early as this season.

While the 22-year-old still has just 55 professional games under his belt thanks to the absence of minor league play in 2020, Vaughn fared well in that time, slashing a combined .278/.384/.449 with six homers, 17 doubles and nearly as many walks (30) as strikeouts (36). Vaughn’s numbers at Cal teetered on absurd, as he batted .374/.495/.668 with 50 long balls in 745 plate appearances. He’s universally ranked among the game’s Top 30 or so prospects, and once he makes the roster he could split time with Jose Abreu between first base and designated hitter.

More on the South Siders…

  • The White Sox will be without lefty Jace Fry for the first month of the season, Hahn also announced this week (Twitter link via James Fegan of The Athletic). The 27-year-old underwent a back operation over the offseason and isn’t expected to be an option until at least May 1. Fry has been a high-strikeout, high-walk part of the Chicago ’pen for the past few seasons, working to a combined 4.43 ERA and 3.92 SIERA with a 29.6 percent strikeout rate but a 13.7 percent walk rate. Between Aaron Bummer and 2020 first-round pick Garrett Crochet, the Sox should still have a pair of lefties to put in the bullpen.
  • Speaking of Crochet, while the organization views him as a starter in the long run, Hahn indicated that the lefty could be used in multiple roles, including a bullpen setting, for the coming season as the club monitors his workload (via MLB.com’s Scott Merkin, on Twitter). The same is true of top prospect Michael Kopech, who’ll be back in the mix for a spot on the pitching staff this spring. Kopech, also regarded as one of the game’s best pitching prospects, underwent Tommy John surgery late in the 2018 season, missed all of 2019 and opted out of the 2020 campaign.
  • Though there are still more than a few unsigned players of note, Hahn suggested that the bulk of the White Sox’ offseason work is complete, Merkin tweets. While the Sox are still in touch with several free agents, Hahn said that the “expectation is that any additions would be more of the non-roster invite variety if at all.” The ChiSox added Liam Hendriks and Adam Eaton via free agency over the winter and also swapped out righty Dane Dunning for Lance Lynn in a trade with the Rangers. While they’ve been connected to other potential free agents along the way, though, it seems their roster is largely set.

Quick Hits: M. Kelly, Angels, Royals, Shoemaker, Crochet

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D-backs righty Merrill Kelly is on the mend after undergoing thoracic outlet surgery and tells Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that to this point, the rehab process has been “way easier than I could have ever imagined.” Kelly expects to begin a throwing program later this month and struck a generally upbeat chord when discussing his future and his recovery process.

Thoracic outlet surgery has been a dagger to many careers in recent years, as the track record of successful returns from TOS is considerably smaller than with other major procedures like Tommy John surgery. That said, there have been some notable success stories, including Chris Young and Jaime Garcia. Tyson Ross had a nice 2018 campaign after 2016 TOS, and Royals righty Kyle Zimmer, who also had TOS surgery a few years ago, posted what looked like a breakout campaign in 2020.

The D-backs picked up a $4.25MM club option on Kelly for the 2021 season and hold a $5.25MM option on him for the 2022 campaign. Since coming over from the KBO following the 2018 season, Kelly has a 4.15 ERA with 7.8 K/9 against 2.6 BB/9 in 214 2/3 innings (37 starts).

A few more notes from around the league…

  • The Angels’ search for a general manager is down “to no more than three candidates,” though the names aren’t known, Jon Morosi of MLB.com tweets. That’s a significant drop-off for a team that has reportedly considered 14 candidates to replace the fired Billy Eppler. The Angels figure to complete a new round of interviews by the end of next week and should have a GM by Thanksgiving, according to Morosi.
  • More from Morosi, who reports (on Twitter) that the Royals have shown interest in free-agent righty Matt Shoemaker. They join the previously reported Red Sox in that regard. Injuries have limited Shoemaker during his Angels/Blue Jays career, which began in 2013, but he has been pretty effective when healthy enough to pitch. Shoemaker owns a 3.86 ERA/4.03 FIP with 8.07 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 in 602 1/3 innings.
  • Left-hander Garrett Crochet gave the White Sox a scare when he was pulled from a postseason game following a velocity dip and subsequently diagnosed with a flexor strain. However, the 2020 first-rounder tells MLB.com’s Scott Merkin that he’s now pain-free after some down time and, after a recent wave of tests, is set up to commence an offseason throwing program at his new home in Arizona. The organization hasn’t yet set a role for the flamethrower, but Crochet adds that he’s comfortable working as a starter or reliever and is merely focused on gaining more pro experience in 2021. The 21-year-old Crochet skyrocketed from the University of Tennessee to the Majors in a span of a couple months, holding opponents scoreless through 6 2/3 innings — postseason and regular season combined — and whiffing 10 of the 24 batters he faced.

Latest On Garrett Crochet, Nick Madrigal

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White Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet left the team’s Game 3 wild-card round loss to the Athletics on Oct. 1, though it wasn’t clear why his season came to a premature end. It turns out that Crochet suffered a flexor strain, general manager Rick Hahn revealed Monday (via James Fegan of The Athletic). While flexor strains often lead to Tommy John surgery, Crochet avoided damage to his ulnar collateral ligament, per Hahn. Chicago expects him to be ready for spring training.

Meanwhile, second baseman Nick Madrigal – another of Chicago’s key young players – underwent surgery on his left shoulder, Scott Merkin of MLB.com relays. Madrigal will require five to six months to recover, which could jeopardize his chances of being at full strength when the spring comes.

This news is a mixed bag for the White Sox, though it’s clearly a relief that Crochet seems to have dodged an especially serious injury. The 21-year-old was the 11th overall pick in this year’s draft, and he wasted little time making a significant impact in the bigs. After the White Sox promoted him in September, Crochet used his blazing fastball to throw six scoreless regular-season innings with eight strikeouts and no walks. Crochet then struck out both batters he faced in his playoff debut before walking off the mound in what proved to be a season-ending defeat for the White Sox.

The 23-year-old Madrigal had a highly effective rookie campaign in his own right, as he slashed .340/.376/.369 in 109 plate appearances. But Madrigal’s shoulder, which he separated Aug. 5, shelved him for almost a month. The hope now is that he’ll be ready when the 2021 season opens.

Eloy Jimenez, Garrett Crochet Exit With Injuries

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3:48pm: The White Sox announced that Jimenez exited with right foot discomfort. The news looks worse for Crochet, who left with forearm tightness.

3:20pm: White Sox outfielder Eloy Jimenez and left-hander Garrett Crochet exited early in the team’s make-or-break Game 3 against the Athletics on Thursday. It’s not yet clear why they departed.

Jimenez led off the third inning with a double before walking off with a trainer. It’s worth noting Jimenez missed time late in the season with a mid-foot sprain. If the White Sox advance, they’ll need him back in their lineup, as the 23-year-old turned in a brilliant second season with a .296/.332/.559 line and 14 home runs in 226 plate appearances.

Crochet, meanwhile, departed in the second inning after striking out both batters he faced. He was throwing in the 96 to 97 mph range, and his fastest pitch clocked in at 98.9, per Scott Merkin of MLB.com. Just about any pitcher would be pleased with that type of velocity, but it’s a notable step down for Crochet, who averaged 100.2 mph on his fastball during his brief regular season. The 21-year-old threw 85 pitches in the season after debuting a couple weeks ago, and 69 of them came in above 98.9 mph, per Sarah Langs of MLB.com (via Merkin).

Crochet, whom the White Sox chose 11th overall in this year’s draft, quickly reached the majors and, thanks in part to his all-world velocity, made a major impact for the White Sox. He ended the season with six shutout innings of three-hit ball across five appearances, in which he totaled eight strikeouts and didn’t walk a batter. He clearly looks like another young star for the up-and-coming White Sox to build around, so the hope is that Crochet didn’t suffer a serious injury in his playoff debut.

White Sox Promote Garrett Crochet

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In an eye-opening promotion, the White Sox have selected the contract of left-hander Garrett Crochet, general manager Rick Hahn announced to reporters today (Twitter link via Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times). Chicago drafted the 21-year-old lefty out of Tennessee with the 11th overall pick of the 2020 draft. Righty Evan Marshall is going on the 10-day injured list with shoulder inflammation, which opens an active roster spot. Right-hander Ian Hamilton was designated for assignment to open a spot on the 40-man roster.

Garrett Crochet (via Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics)

It’s obviously of the utmost rarity for a prospect to skip the minor leagues entirely, which Crochet will be doing in the absence of a conventional minor league season. The last player to do so was Mike Leake, although Brandon Finnegan followed a similar arc when he was called by the Royals in September 2014 with just 27 minor league innings under his belt (also a mere three months after being drafted). Of course, the White Sox themselves have done this with a high-profile college lefty as well, rocketing Chris Sale to the big leagues in the same year that he was selected 13th overall (2010).

Crochet might not have the video game-esque numbers that many would expect to see from a top-ranked collegiate pitcher, but he was nevertheless regarded as one of the best prospects in the 2020 draft. Between his sophomore and shortened junior NCAA seasons, Crochet worked to a 3.82 ERA with an 87-to-22 K/BB ratio in 68 1/3 innings. Baseball America was most bullish on Crochet heading into the draft, ranking him as the No. 15 prospect in the class. Kiley McDaniel of ESPN (16th), the team at MLB.com (18th), Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs (22nd) and Keith Law of The Athletic (39th) all had Crochet in their top 40 prospects as well.

There was some risk associated with Crochet after he missed the first three weeks of the 2020 season with what McDaniel tabbed as an issue with a muscle in his shoulder. He returned to make one appearance, punching out six hitters in 3 1/3 frames in what proved to be his only outing prior to the NCAA shutdown. Law calls him one of the best arms in the draft and labeled him a likely first-rounder, attributing the relatively bearish ranking to uncertainty surrounding his early absence. BA notes that there are concerns among some clubs about Crochet’s lack of track record as a starter — he started only 13 games in college while making 23 additional relief appearances — but virtually any scouting report on the 6’6″, 218-pound southpaw will say that he had some of the best pure stuff in the draft.

That arsenal, headlined by a fastball that runs up to 99 mph and a 70-grade slider, will be on full display at the game’s top level in the final week-plus of the season. It’s an aggressive move for a White Sox club that is clearly (forgive the cliche) all-in on pushing for a World Series in its first full, post-rebuild campaign.

The Sox have already clinched a postseason berth, and the Dodgers are the only team in baseball with a better record than their current mark of 33-17. They’ve ridden otherworldly performances from MVP candidates Tim Anderson and Jose Abreu to the top of the AL Central. With a formidable one-two punch of Lucas Giolito and Dallas Keuchel in the rotation, followed by promising young arms like Dane Dunning and Dylan Cease, they look like legitimate contenders for a deep postseason run as well.

Crochet figures to head to the bullpen, where he’ll give skipper Rick Renteria a power arm to mix into the late innings alongside Alex Colome, Matt Foster, Codi Heuer and, if he’s able to return by season’s end, fellow lefty Aaron Bummer. Crochet is no lock to make the postseason bullpen — he’ll need to earn his way into that role — but he makes an already loaded White Sox roster look all the more intriguing in the countdown to the team’s first postseason appearance since way back in 2008.

Photos courtesy of Andrew Ferguson/University of Tennessee Athletics.

White Sox Announce 60-Man Additions

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The White Sox announced the addition of 16 players to their 60-man player pool Tuesday. They’ll all head to the team’s alternate camp site in Schaumberg, Ill. Today’s additions include (* = non-roster invitee):

Right-Handed Pitchers

Left-Handed Pitchers

Catchers

Outfielders

As Opening Day draws nearer, the White Sox will option additional players to their alternate camp site. There are currently 43 players in big league Summer Camp with the South Siders, and they’ll need to trim that number to 30 by the time the opener rolls around.

Today’s list of additions contains several notable names, including 2020 first-round pick Garrett Crochet, whom the Sox selected 13th overall out of the University of Tennessee. Farm director Chris Getz isn’t ruling out the possibility of Crochet making his MLB debut sometime this year, Bruce Levine of 670 The Score tweets.

Getz also spoke about another recent White Sox first-round pick in Zack Burdi, whom they took 26th in 2016, saying (via Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times): ’We hope to build off how he finished major league camp. It’s the best we’ve seen him in a while. His last couple outings were very encouraging. It’s a special arm.”

Significant injuries have prevented the hard-throwing Burdi from realizing his potential or even reaching the bigs since the White Sox drafted him. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2017, barely pitched the following year as a result, and then succumbed to a ligament tear in his patella last season. Burdi’s still a well-regarded relief prospect, though, and may have a chance to factor into Chicago’s bullpen this season.

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