Red Sox’s Garrett Whitlock Holds No Grudge Years After Yankees Departure

Boston Red Sox pitcher Garrett Whitlock wasn’t able to find his footing during his stint with the New York Yankees, but there’s no animosity in place.

Whitlock spent three seasons in New York’s minor league system, missing his final in 2020 before the Red Sox took a chance on the right-hander in the Rule 5 draft. Fast forward three years later and Whitlock has a four-year deal with the Red Sox plus an established place in Boston’s starting rotation, getting a chance to go up against the club that kept him off their 40-man roster years ago on Friday night.

“I’ve never held a grudge, you know. I’ve told you that from day one,” Whitlock told reporters after Boston’s 3-2 win over New York, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “I understood the whole thing so yeah, I’ve never held a grudge.”

It was the first time that Whitlock had faced off against his former club as a starter, and the 26-year-old delivered in front of a rowdy Yankee Stadium crowd, helping Boston bounce back from consecutive road losses in Cleveland.

Whitlock underwent a pitchers duel with Yankees starter Gerrit Cole, holding New York to just one earned run off seven hits and a walk while recording six strikeouts through 6 1/3 innings pitched. The victory for Whitlock –his third of the season — also resulted in Cole taking home his first loss of the season.

Nevertheless, while many tend to believe that revenge is a dish best served cold — or in this case, with a loss — Whitlock doesn’t view getting the nod against the Yankees as anything beyond another day in the office.

“I just try to take it the same way as I would any other start,” Whitlock explained. “Just kind of go in there like that.”