Chicago White Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet has been one of the few bright spots on a team that has won just 15 of its first 62 games this season, but would the South Siders consider trading him?
Crochet is the major league leader in several categories this season, and that has come with plenty of attention from other teams, including the San Diego Padres, who are interested in acquiring his services according to Dennis Lin of The Athletic.
There is, however a stumbling block, according to Ken Rosenthal, and that comes with figuring out how teams, including the White Sox, will value him.
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“While the White Sox plan to value Crochet as a No. 1 starter, according to sources briefed on their thinking, no acquiring team can assume he will be a viable starter in the second half,” Rosenthal wrote.
He went on to say that it is “not certain” that Crochet will be dealt, but that teams may be willing to get creative with his usage down the stretch, including moving him to the bullpen to limit his innings load.
The Padres could ultimately be limited due to a slew of trades they’ve made in recent years, which have required them to part with some of their biggest prospects. That includes outfielder Juan Soto, who is now with the New York Yankees, and former White Sox pitcher Dylan Cease, who was acquired earlier this year by San Diego.
The Padres also just swung a trade for Luis Arraez from the Miami Marlins, further depleting their prospect capital.
MLB
Even still, there are other teams who will likely be looking to bolster their rotation or their bullpen as they head toward the summer months, according to reports.
In his first full season as a professional starter, Crochet has posted a 5-5 record and a 3.49 ERA for the White Sox, with 93 strikeouts in 69.2 innings of work. His 93 strikeouts are currently tied for third in all of baseball with Cease, and his 12.01 strikeouts were nine innings are currently tops in the game.
While the White Sox will likely call up some reinforcing prospects for the back half of the season, the team could still explore trades for numerous pieces, including Crochet. The club has a record of 15-47 and has lost 13 consecutive games, tying their longest single-season losing streak in franchise history.
They’ll try to break that streak on Thursday night when they welcome the Boston Red Sox to Guaranteed Rate Field.