Dodgers, Phillies among 5 teams eyeing White Sox All-Star pitcher in trade talks: Reports
Garrett Crochet burst onto the scene last year with a brilliant season for the otherwise terrible Chicago White Sox. Crochet was arguably the lone bright spot on a team that was worse than virtually every other MLB team in history. He was a hot commodity at the trade deadline, although some comments he made may have turned teams off.
Now that it's the offseason and clubs can trade again, there are reportedly several teams interested in him. It will likely come at a high price, but the Sox have been willing to deal pitchers under team control before.
According to baseball insider Jeff Passan, the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox, LA Dodgers and Baltimore Orioles are five teams who have serious interest in the ace.
Last year, the San Diego Padres acquired Dylan Cease from the White Sox. A similar situation could occur with Crochet as the White Sox look to rebuild a 121-loss team.
Garrett Crochet will cost a lot
Garrett Crochet is under team control until 2027 when he becomes an unrestricted free agent. Any team trading for him would be dealing for multiple cheap seasons of an ace. That will cost them a lot of prospects.
The Cease deal could be a baseline, but Crochet had a better 2024 season than Cease had in 2023 before his trade. Their ages are similar, but Crochet likely has more value.
Last year, the Orioles dealt for Corbin Burnes. He's a free agent and not likely to return, so the Orioles could swing yet another deal for an ace to bolster their rotation. They are more than well-equipped to deal out of their farm system.
The Sox will almost assuredly ask for the teams' top prospects. The negotiations will begin there and the Sox don't necessarily have to make a deal now. They have time for Crochet to continue building up his value if they want.
Any team, be it the Dodgers, Phillies, Mets or anyone else, is going to have to be willing to deplete the farm for Crochet. Only a few teams were willing to try that for Cease last offseason and Crochet may have even fewer realistic suitors.