Garrett Crochet took the ball for the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday and turned his first postseason start into a showcase.

The former White Sox lefty had already tasted October back in 2020 and 2021, logging three scoreless innings out of Chicago’s bullpen. But this was different. This was Crochet as a frontline starter, the guy Boston paid to be an ace after acquiring him in an offseason trade and extending him for six years, $170 million.

And he lived up to the billing.

Crochet carved through the Yankees’ star-studded lineup — a gauntlet featuring Paul Goldschmidt, Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Giancarlo Stanton at the top — for 7.2 innings, 11 strikeouts, and just one run allowed in a Game 1 win of the AL Wild Card Series. On a national stage, he looked every bit like the kind of arm who can carry a franchise in October.

For White Sox fans, it had to sting.

But here’s the truth: Crochet’s playoff dominance doesn’t change the fact that Chicago was right to move him.

Let’s start with the basics. Before signing his $170 million extension, Crochet was set to hit free agency after the 2026 season. The Sox front office read the room. Even if he turned into one of the best pitchers in baseball — which doesn’t look far off — one ace was never going to drag a 100-loss team back into contention.

Could they have kept him and tried to extend him? Sure, in theory. But that required Jerry Reinsdorf committing a franchise-record contract to a pitcher with one year of starting experience. It also required Crochet wanting to stick around after enduring a 121-loss season on the South Side. Neither scenario was realistic.

So the Sox cashed in.

Now, imagine the alternate reality. Let’s say Chicago had extended Crochet and he put up the same dominant numbers in a White Sox uniform: 205.1 innings, a 2.59 ERA, and a league-leading 255 strikeouts. How much better would they actually be?

Maybe a handful of wins. Maybe.

But they wouldn’t have Kyle Teel, Chase Meidroth, or Wikelman González. They wouldn’t have Braden Montgomery, their new No. 1 prospect. That’s four cheap, controllable players with legitimately high ceilings — two of whom, Teel and Meidroth, already ranked in the team’s top 10 in fWAR this year. Teel, in fact, might’ve been their best player.

Would you give that up just to keep one ace? It’s debatable — and that’s before factoring in the $170 million price tag, Jerry’s frugal habits, and Crochet’s willingness to return.

Chris Getz and the White Sox made the smart call. They saw where the roster stood, understood the timeline for contention, and moved Crochet at peak value. That’s how you rebuild.

Yes, it hurts to watch him shove in October. Yes, fans will imagine “what if.” But don’t mistake regret for reality. The White Sox didn’t lose this trade. They did exactly what they had to do.