Garrett Crochet's demand before the MLB trade deadline is a lofty one. Crochet has told general managers that he would not pitch in the bullpen and would not pitch in the playoffs without a contract extension. The ace of the White Sox is set to hit arbitration after this season but wants long-term security moving forward.
An anonymous GM reacted to this demand to ESPN's Jeff Passan, saying “Why would I want to get a guy who doesn't want to pitch in the playoffs?”
That is not a great sign for Garrett Crochet, who was expected to be the biggest piece move at the July 30 deadline. The first part of his demand is pretty simple and does not feel like a deal breaker at all. If a team lands Crochet, they should not put him in the bullpen. He is leading the American League in strikeouts and FIP and leads all of baseball in strikeouts-per-nine.
The demand from Crochet is understandable because of his injury history. He missed all of 2022 after having Tommy John surgery. He has also already eclipsed his high watermark for innings pitched in the majors. Crochet is trying to protect his future and bypass arbitration in the next two offseasons.
The demand is very lofty and would be difficult to meet. With just two months remaining in the regular season, a long-term deal would be hard to get done by the time October rolls around.
How will Garrett Crochet's demand affect the trade market?
The Garrett Crochet contract demand throws a massive curveball into the pitcher trade market with just days to go before the deadline. With other starters available, will Crochet remain on the White Sox past the deadline? The Detroit Tigers hold the answer to that question.
According to Fangraphs, the Tigers sit 5.5 games out of the final Wild Card spot and hold just an 8.7% chance to make the playoffs. They have two pitchers, Tarik Skubal and Jack Flaherty, who could be traded. Flaherty signed a one-year contract with the Tigers after his free agency market dried up and has performed well. His 2.95 ERA is the lowest of his career and he has great postseason numbers.
The Tigers also have Tarik Skubal, who has two years of team control left and is just 27. He has the lowest ERA in all of baseball and has proven himself as a starter over his five-year career. The Tigers could take advantage of Crochet's demands by trading Skubal to a contender, like the Dodgers or Orioles, for a haul of prospects.
A Garrett Crochet trade will still happen at the deadline regardless of what happens with the Tigers' pitchers. There will be a team who convinces themselves they can make an extension work and take the risk. The drama comes from whether or not Crochet will stay true to his word, which he should. The free agent value for a young left-handed pitcher is tremendous and he should not risk losing that over one postseason run.
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