Chicago White Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet has been one of the few bright spots for a team with the worst record in the majors.
The White Sox enter Sunday’s contest as the only team with less than 20 wins, winning just 17 of their first 65 games this season. Chicago is in the midst of a major organizational rebuild and is expected to trade several starters at this year’s trade deadline.
While the White Sox don’t have many desirable trade candidates, they do have 24-year-old left-hander Garrett Crochet. Crochet leads the American League in strikeouts (103) and is the major league leader in games started (14) and strikeouts-per-nine (12.3).
The reliever-turned-ace has drawn plenty of interest from teams in the market for starting pitching. According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the White Sox will be looking for a huge return for Crochet given the 24-year-old still has two more years of club control and is earning only $800,000 this season.
Crochet has reportedly drawn “strong interest” from the San Diego Padres, who traded for former White Sox ace Dylan Cease less than three months ago. Passan writes that another team Crochet fits with is the Milwaukee Brewers, who are looking for “a lefty with obscene stuff who can head a rotation.”
Of course, there are plenty of teams in the mix for starting pitching that could make a bid for the young southpaw.
Baltimore Orioles
With left-hander John Means undergoing season-ending Tommy John surgery and right-hander Dean Kremer on the injured list, the Orioles have a clear need for starting-pitching depth.
Baltimore has been linked to Marlins left-hander Jesus Luzardo, another young arm who’s arbitration-eligible for the next two seasons. The Orioles have one of the top farm systems in the majors with a surplus of talent that makes Baltimore an excellent trade partner.
Houston Astros
The Astros have had an uncharacteristically slow start to 2024. Yet at 30-35, Houston still has a chance to win the division, sitting just 5.5 games back of the first-place Seattle Mariners.
General manager Dana Brown confirmed earlier this week that the Astros would be buyers at this year’s trade deadline. The Astros just lost right-handers Cristian Javier and Jose Urquidy to season-ending elbow surgery and have had a full five-man rotation on the injured list.
Given their injury-depleted rotation, trading for a solid starter like Crochet could help Houston salvage the 2024 season.
Atlanta Braves
With ace Spencer Strider out for the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in April, one of Atlanta’s biggest needs is starting pitching.
Despite losing the reigning NL MVP, opposing teams see Atlanta’s starting rotation as its biggest weakness. Braves president of operations Alex Anthopoulos is always looking to buy and will surely inquire about one of baseball’s best young left-handers. The Braves might not have the prospect capital left to pull off a trade for Crochet, though.
While Crochet would prefer to stay with the White Sox, he views the trade rumors as praise.
“It’s a huge compliment,” Crochet said, per NBC Sports Chicago. “To have your name mentioned in a trade, typically, I guess it’s 50-50, but typically it’s going to a team that’s buying and a team that’s competing at the deadline.”
It is not certain that Crochet will be dealt, since he could technically be a part of Chicago’s rebuilding efforts. But as the July 30 trade deadline gets closer, he will be a name to watch.
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