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The Chicago White Sox are widely expected to trade ace pitcher Garrett Crochet sometime this winter, and while it's anyone's guess where he ends up, one insider thinks the Philadelphia Phillies make the most sense.
USA Today's Bob Nightengale appeared on Foul Territory TV on Monday where he said the Phillies were most aggressive in pursuing Crochet at the trade deadline and that's where he expects the lefty All-Star to land.
“They like him a lot. Love him. You want [Alec] Bohm? You want Carl Crawford’s son [Justin Crawford]? It’s gonna take more than that,” Nightengale said. “They need to win too. That window’s closing for them. Guys are about to leave in free agency, [Kyle] Schwarber’s a free agent, [JT] Realmuto’s a free agent.
Nightengale was referring to the end of next season when Schwarber and Realmuto hit the open market.
The Phillies took a significant step forward in 2024, winning the National League East for the first time since 2011. The New York Mets ended their season prematurely, however, beating Philadelphia in four games in the National League Division Series.
The Phillies boasted a strong rotation in 2024, led by Cy Young runner-up Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola and Cristopher Sánchez. Adding Crochet would also give them one of the deepest rotations in the game.
The Phillies aren't the only team in the running for Garrett Crochet
Just because Nightengale thinks Crochet eventually lands in Philadelphia, that doesn't mean there aren't multiple other possibilities. The reporter listed a few that the White Sox have had their eye on and where they stand.
“They would love to get the Baltimore Orioles involved but so far the Orioles really have not done it,” he said. “They were hoping to get the Dodgers involved but now the Dodgers got their starter already in Snell so they don’t really need Crochet.”
The Orioles are currently working out how far they're willing to go to bring back their own ace, Corbin Burnes. If Burnes is going to return to Baltimore, he will want assurance that the team is set up to win beyond 2025. Crochet would certainly help, as long as the Orioles don't have to completely mortgage their future to get him. Baltimore has the third-best farm system in baseball, per MLB.com, so they do have some trade chips to offer.
“Crochet is gonna bring back the best package of prospects of anybody out there right now,” Nightengale warned.
Crochet is still under team control for two more seasons. He may stay relatively affordable during his arbitration years but there's no guarantee beyond that.
