Every pitcher has rough days. Even the best of the best might have a day where they don’t have their best stuff or they can’t find the plate. Over the course of a long season, a rough game is normal. But when it becomes a trend, it may raise significant red flags. For former White Sox ace Garrett Crochet, it may be starting to become a trend.
Crochet’s complete blow-up on Monday in Minneapolis originally had the baseball world spinning and speculating about his health. Despite Crochet and manager Alex Cora insisting Crochet was healthy, his velocity was down and he got hit around in a way we’ve never really seen before. Crochet made the start Sunday against the Tigers looking for a bounce-back. He made it through the fourth inning with minimal trouble but had problems in the fifth, ultimately allowing a three-run homer to Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler that fueled the loss. Overall, Crochet allowed five earned runs over five innings, allowing seven hits and two walks. His season ERA now sits at 7.88.
Crochet’s fastball velocity was back to 94-96, which is closer to his career norm but not on the same level of his near-triple digits heat from last season. Even with the increased velocity, the Tigers were able to touch him for a pair of home runs and he struggled to put away hitters in big spots. It’s a long season, so there’s plenty of time for Crochet to get back on track, but it’s worth noting that his dominant 2025 season was the first of his career in which he posted a full season innings load. There’s a very real possibility that even if he’s healthy, he’s experiencing some innings-related arm fatigue. If so, it calls into question how reliable he’s going to be moving forward. If the Red Sox are forced to rest Crochet to avoid fatigue every season, he’s going to lose some of his value.
The White Sox landed multiple impact players in the Crochet trade
The White Sox, meanwhile, are enjoying the benefits of trading Crochet. Braden Montgomery’s 1.211 OPS with Double-A Birmingham has White Sox fans feeling like he could be the best player acquired in the deal, even with Kyle Teel and Chase Meidroth already making significant impacts at the big league level. The lone pitcher in the deal, righty Wikelman Gonzalez has a 0.87 ERA in Triple-A Charlotte and should get another shot in the White Sox bullpen before too long.
Braden Montgomery two-homer game!@whitesox | @BhamBarons | @MLBDevelops pic.twitter.com/EFzqY6gnZG
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 12, 2026
It’s impossible to draw any conclusions about the long-term future of Garrett Crochet this early in his second season with Boston, but it’s a recent trend worth watching closely for both Red Sox and White Sox fans. The White Sox would much rather win games than “win” the Crochet trade, but we could feel quite a bit better about the decision-making process behind the deal.
The White Sox decision to trade away a young lefty with ace upside looks rough on the surface, but if Garrett Crochet has issues with consistency and the White Sox get multiple impact talents, it could be a key to fielding the next great team on the south side.
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