The White Sox are widely expected to deal Garrett Crochet this winter. Keeping track of the many teams that have an interest in the ace left-hander — or should have interest in him — is dizzying.
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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There has been “a ton of interest in him from other clubs,” White Sox general manager Chris Getz said at the GM Meetings earlier this month. Getz said the White Sox are targeting position players in their talks with other teams about the return for Crochet.
One AL East team in particular could really use Crochet — and would seem to have an ample supply of young position players to trade from — yet is reportedly focused more on free agents this winter to plug holes in their pitching staff.
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, “while the Orioles are one of many teams in the mix for Chicago White Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet, they currently are more focused on free agency, according to sources briefed on their discussions.”
Although their priorities might merely reflect the respective timelines laid out by the White Sox for trading Crochet, and the team’s top free agent targets, the Orioles would make sense as one of the more aggressive suitors in the Crochet sweepstakes.
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Their number-1 prospect, 20-year-old catcher Samuel Basallo, is blocked by Adley Rutschman. Coby Mayo, a 22-year-old infielder, has little left to prove at the Triple-A level but faces a crowded major league infield to break through. Only one of Baltimore’s top seven prospects is a pitcher, according to MLB Pipeline.
The Orioles’ front office was criticized for holding onto its top prospects at the 2024 deadline, when the team had a somewhat obvious need for upgrading its starting rotation behind ace Corbin Burnes. The criticism proved prescient.
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In a season that was supposed to represent a step forward for the organization, Baltimore’s season ended with a first-round postseason exit for the second straight year.
Now Burnes is a free agent, and the Orioles find themselves at a similar juncture. Crochet still makes a world of sense as a trade fit.
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Rosenthal notes “the Orioles ideally would add two starting pitchers — either Burnes or someone like him at the top of their rotation, plus another pitcher who perhaps would be more of an upside play.”
The offseason is still young. The trade package that wins out for Crochet, and whether the Orioles step up to meet the asking price, are among the more fascinating storylines to watch.
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