Start me up: White Sox' Garrett Crochet off to smooth beginning in quest for rotation spot

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Garrett Crochet has got this.

The transition to starting pitcher, that is.

Having 73 major-league innings under his belt, all in relief, should not be a problem. The 6-6 left-hander started in college, and he’s feeling fully healthy this spring after putting Tommy John surgery and shoulder problems behind him. Crochet touched 100 mph in his first appearance against the Dodgers, and in his last outing — a scoreless three innings against the Angels in relief Thursday — he said he “guided” a get-me-over pitch into the strike zone and was pleasantly surprised to see 99 on the scoreboard.

He is averaging 98.4 mph with his fastball this spring, and spin rates are up, too.

“I had a good offseason,” Crochet said. “Changed a couple of mechanical things, nothing crazy. But I’m in a good spot.”

Pitching coach Ethan Katz said 10 pitchers are in the mix for rotation spots, a fivesome that will not include the traded Dylan Cease and the moved-to-the-bullpen Michael Kopech. Manager Pedro Grifol is promoting competition in camp, and Crochet is winning this one with no runs allowed, 12 strikeouts and no walks in nine innings.

“No one really does [know],” said Crochet, a 2020 first-round pick. “I’m just trying to earn a job. In my mind, no one is for certain, and everyone is fighting for this. And that’s how I like it. For all I know, the rotation is already decided, but in my mind, I still have a chance. That’s what I’m going to be working toward.”

Crochet says the routine of starting feels right for him.

“I don’t think it necessarily suits me better, but in general for pitchers, it’s better for guys,” he said. “Coming out of the bullpen is tough. Often unsung heroes. Sometimes guys get abused down there.

“But transitioning to starting, I want to be a guy they can rely on, a guy who can give them seven innings every time.”

Crochet is throwing a cutter, and he must locate his slider to complement the hard stuff as a starter.

“I felt like I found it [playing] catch these last few days and was able to carry it into a game [Thursday],” Crochet said.

Cease’s and Kopech’s exits from the rotation mean the White Sox will have a completely new starting five after opening the 2023 season with Cease, Lance Lynn, Lucas Giolito, Mike Clevinger and Kopech, although Clevinger is still a free agent and could possibly return.

“It’s different,” Katz said. “For three years, I would come in here, and we kind of on paper had who we were. Right now, we’re trying to figure out who is going to be in the rotation while trying to piece this together until the end.

“There’s a lot of options, and that’s a credit to the front office and the talent they brought in here. It’s also a credit to the guys and how they are throwing it, too. It’s going to be a lot of tough decisions, but you would rather have that than easy ones.”

Crochet could make it easy. The thing to monitor is the workload in what would be his first full season as a starter.

“One step at a time,” he said. “We’ll see if I’m able to win a spot and if they’re willing to award it to me in the end, and we’ll go from there. In my mind, innings limits are a bit outdated. I think as long as I’m on this five-day rotation, I’ll be in a pretty good spot.”

“He’s on his way to do whatever is needed,” Katz said. “He’s in a good place, and we don’t need to add or do anything different to what we’ve been doing.

“He’s had [73] innings in three years, so everything we do, we’ve just got to be really mindful. See how he’s feeling, make sure that he’s able to bounce back OK.”