Boston’s already dangerous October picture could get a lot more intimidating if Garrett Crochet is able to make it back in a bullpen role.
The Red Sox have ridden a wild season into the postseason conversation. After a rough 10-17 start that led to Alex Cora’s firing and Chad Tracy’s promotion from Triple-A to the big leagues, Boston has looked like a completely different team. White Sox fans saw plenty of that firsthand in an 0-7 season series against the Red Sox, and the message was clear: this is a talented club that can do real damage when the games matter most.
Now there’s another layer to it. Crochet, who hasn’t pitched at the big league level since April 25th, could return as a reliever for Boston in the playoffs.
That’s a role he knows well. When the White Sox drafted him out of Tennessee in 2020, there was no minor league season for him to work through.
He went to the White Sox taxi squad in Schaumburg, then jumped straight into the big league bullpen that same year. Crochet appeared in six games as a reliever in 2020, including a playoff game, and he handled the same role in 2021, putting up a 2.82 ERA in 54 games and throwing 2.1 scoreless innings in the playoffs.
White Sox GM Chris Getz talked earlier this week about the possibility of Crochet helping Boston out of the bullpen in October.
“He’s become an even better pitcher, clearly”, Getz said. “That could be a significant weapon for them, assuming that health is there and enough of a runway is there for him to build up and be effective.”
Getz has seen firsthand how sharp Crochet can be when he’s healthy and in rhythm. And from Boston’s side, the fit is obvious: a relentless lineup, strong starting pitching, and a bullpen that could look even more complete if Crochet is added to the mix.
That’s why the idea of facing the Red Sox in October doesn’t sound appealing from a White Sox perspective. Boston has controlled that matchup all season, and there’s little reason to think the tone would change on a bigger stage.
The Crochet trade has already paid off for the White Sox, with three of the four pieces in the deal currently productive big league players. Kyle Teel staying healthy and Braden Montgomery continuing to grow as a hitter will be important to watch in 2027, but both sides have gotten meaningful value so far.
Crochet nearly won the Cy Young award in 2025, and 2026 hasn’t unfolded the way he wanted. Still, he could wind up making a real October impact for the Red Sox. I’m rooting for him to come back healthy and productive, but if the White Sox end up across from him, they’d better be ready.
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