Crochet defends extension demand: Teams would 'find it reasonable'

Chicago White Sox ace Garrett Crochet defended his decision to demand a contract extension before agreeing to pitch in the postseason in the event of a midseason trade.

The White Sox were unable to find a trade partner before Tuesday's deadline, meaning Crochet will finish this season on the South Side.

"I don't think (a deal) was dependent on that being said or not," the All-Star left-hander said Wednesday, according to Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times. "Any team would see the amount of innings I threw last year and find it reasonable. It was ultimately the right call, and that's about it."

Crochet has been a revelation for the league-worst White Sox this season, his first as a full-time starter. He's the American League leader in strikeouts (160) and FIP (2.42) while also posting an MLB-best 12.6 K/9 rate over 114 1/3 innings.

The 25-year-old's breakout in his first year of arbitration prompted interest from several contenders, but the White Sox set a high asking price even before Crochet's unique demands became public.

General manager Chris Getz, who previously admitted to being surprised by Crochet's demands, said Tuesday that it was "tough to tell" whether the extension issue impacted trade negotiations.

The White Sox, who are mired in a franchise-record 17-game losing streak, plan to continue monitoring Crochet's workload despite him being one of the top AL Cy Young candidates. Both Getz and Crochet made it clear that there's no animosity between them, and the lefty believes his team understands why he took the hard-line stance heading into the deadline.

"Anybody can understand where I'm coming from in that regard," Crochet said. "I think it may have come across as greedy to some, but I think those in the industry realized it's logical to have that line of thinking.

"Everything happens for a reason. Ultimately, the right move was made, and here I am."