When the MLB All-Star break arrived this week, the Los Angeles Dodgers had 15 players on their injured list, more than any other team in baseball.
Because of this, Los Angeles is expected to actively look to plug some holes on the trade market. One name that the Dodgers continue to be linked to is Chicago White Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet.
On Saturday, ESPN's Alden Gonzalez mentioned a handful of starters who could be available to the Dodgers ahead of the July 30 Deadline — Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty, Erick Fedde, Zach Eflin, Yusei Kikuchi — but he wrote that Crochet “is considered to be at the top of the Dodgers' list, regardless of whether he's a starter or a reliever the rest of the way.”
Crochet has been one of the best starters in Major League Baseball this season, with a 3.02 ERA with 150 strikeouts in just 107 1/3 innings. It's worth noting that his workload will likely need be carefully monitored over the rest of the season. That's because he has already thrown more innings this season than in his previous four seasons as a pro combined. Crochet threw just 25 innings between the Major and Minor Leagues last year — all in relief — as he made his way back from Tommy John surgery.
If the Dodgers want to limit Crochet's innings tally, they could put him at the back of their bullpen. Although Los Angeles' 3.38 bullpen ERA is the among the best in baseball, the team could possibly use help at closer. Evan Phillips has allowed at least one run in four of his past six games.
Could the Dodgers try to add Luis Robert in addition to Garrett Crochet?
With the White Sox in the middle of a terrible season, they could land a handful of prime prospects for Crochet and Luis Robert. The Dodgers are rumored to be interested in Robert as well.
Robert isn't stressing the likelihood that he'll be on the move.
“I'm not thinking about it,” he said when asked about the speculation that he won't be with the White Sox a month from now.
Injuries have hurt Robert's ability to flourish in the big leagues. He finally eclipsed 100 games last season, his fourth in the MLB, but missed two full months with a hip flexor strain this season.
A slow start paved the way for a hot stretch before the All-Star break. His resurgence started the last week of June, but in 12 July games, Robert has a .900 OPS and is hitting .318. He's recorded a hit, RBI or scored a run in 18 of his last 20 games.
Robert has flashed all five tools throughout his five-year career but hasn’t been able to put all of them together and reach his full potential.
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