Barring an unexpected blockbuster, Garrett Crochet figures to be the best player traded this offseason.
The Chicago White Sox converted Crochet from a reliever to a starter last winter, and saw immediate dividends. The left-hander posted a 3.58 ERA across 32 starts, while striking out 209 batters in 146 innings — both career-highs.
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But with the White Sox coming off a record-setting 121-loss season, they don’t figure to need a top-of-the-line starter for at least another year or two. Since not every team will be able to afford starters at the top of the free agent market, Crochet is an attractive alternative for contending teams with the requisite prospect capital.
Sean McAdam of MassLive.com quoted one anonymous American League executive as saying the Red Sox were “right in the thick of things” in trade talks with Chicago for Crochet. The Los Angeles Dodgers reportedly made a run at Crochet prior to the 2024 trade deadline. So did the San Diego Padres. More recently, the New York Mets have shown interest in the 25-year-old left-hander.
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Tuesday, ESPN published its annual postseason survey of major league executives. According to the 18 industry personnel surveyed by Jesse Rogers, two National League East rivals top the list of probable destinations for Crochet: the Mets and Atlanta Braves.
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The White Sox “would rather put him in the NL,” one survey respondent told Rogers. “Wouldn’t rule out other big-market clubs. Where Garrett wants to sign an extension is a factor and would think Atlanta is the most appealing landing spot for him long term.”
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White Sox GM Chris Getz was reportedly demanding a high asking price in prospect capital for Crochet before the July 30 deadline. The Mets and Braves might not have as many players close to major-league ready as the Red Sox and Orioles, to name two, but if Getz is insistent on dealing Crochet to the National League, perhaps New York and Atlanta are indeed in the front-runners.
Crochet has only three years of service time at the major league level, meaning he cannot become a free agent before 2027. The 6-foot-6 left-hander made his first AL All-Star team in July and could be viewed as a potential rotation ace for years to come.
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Injury risk is a concern with Crochet. Prior to 2024, he had not started since his sophomore season at the University of Tennessee. He never pitched more than 65 innings in a season before his 146-inning campaign in 2024. The effects of his dramatic workload ramp-up, if any, are yet to be seen.
But Crochet’s upside potential is clear: among the 18 respondents to the ESPN survey, only one predicted he would not be traded this offseason.
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