Because the Chicago White Sox (20-56) are on pace to finish as one of the worst teams in modern baseball history, it is extremely hard to believe that there might actually be multiple players on the roster who can be valuable playoff contributors. Nevertheless, first-year general manager Chris Getz is going to be receiving a bunch of phone calls in the coming weeks. The World Series-seeking New York Yankees could be on the other side of the line.
The owner of the best record in the MLB is definitely in position to buy ahead of the July 30 trade deadline, but it is unclear what exactly the squad needs. New York contains star power, lineup versatility, a robust starting pitching rotation and a top-notch bullpen that vastly outproduces its name value.
Still, given that the Yankees have consistently fallen short against their stiffest competition in the postseason, they cannot afford to be content. General manager Brian Cashman must leave no stone unturned in his mission to deliver the Bronx its first championship since 2009.
Garrett Crochet, the brightest talent the White Sox have to offer, is surely grabbing his attention, and that of several other executives.
“Every contending team has interest in the reliever-turned-starter, and though he’s already flown past his previous innings high, teams love the arm and potential (the Yankees are among them),” New York Post's Jon Heyman reported. “It’s uncertain how many innings are left in his big arm, but teams are willing to find out.”
When New York enters a star sweepstakes, it tends to do well more often than not. Is the allure of the Fall Classic strong enough to propel Cashman and the organization to a blockbuster deal?
Yankees' rotation might not be as rock-solid as it appears to be
Before right-hander Clarke Schmidt landed on the 60-day injured list, there was a debate about which starter would slide into the bullpen to clear room for the returning Gerrit Cole. While the stats indicate an abundance of riches, there is a realistic chance that at least a couple of the Yankees' arms either decline or run out of gas by October.
Carlos Rodon is a wild card who has dealt with injuries throughout his career, rookie Luis Gil underwent Tommy John surgery in 2022 and could be on an innings limit, Marcus Stroman can struggle to sustain momentum, Nestor Cortes has yet to log more than 28 starts in a season and Cole is just returning to the team.
None of these concerns have come to pass as of now, but Garrett Crochet can be the insurance this club needs during the final stretch of the year. Scratch that, he can potentially lift them over the rest of the field.
Garrett Crochet has arrived
Pitching is king in the playoffs, and this hard-throwing lefty might just have what it takes to help New York finally reclaim the MLB crown. As Heyman alludes, Crochet comes with question marks of his own. He missed all of 2022 recovering from Tommy John surgery, and like Gil, is assuming a significant big leagues workload for the first time. That being said, the 25-year-old (birthday on Friday, June 21) should be the most promising pitcher on the trade market if the White Sox make him available.
Crochet is 6-6 with a 3.25 ERA, an American League-leading 124 strikeouts and a 0.947 WHIP in 16 starts. He is holding opponents to a meager .195 batting average, .335 slugging percentage and .583 OPS. The former first-round pick looks to be on his way to Globe Life Field to pitch in his first All-Star Game.
And then, he could be moving to a new team. With the Yankees' usual obstacles presently outside the postseason picture, and the Baltimore Orioles suffering a slew of pitching injuries, this could be a prime opportunity for Brian Cashman to put the finishing touches on an AL Pennant winner. He will have competition, though.
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