Would the Boston Red Sox make a blockbuster move at the July 30 trade deadline after years of conservative decision-making?
The Chicago White Sox have reportedly launched a major bidding war for one of Major League Baseball’s top pitchers, who has it all: peak performance, youth and team control. Unsurprisingly, there is interest across the league in the rising star.
“The Chicago White Sox have quietly begun brief talks to extend ace Garrett Crochet’s contract, but with no optimism of reaching a deal, the White Sox intend to trade him before the July 30 trade deadline,” USA Today’s Bob Nightengale wrote Sunday.
“Fifteen teams have called the White Sox to express interest in Crochet, who is making just $800,000 and is under team control through 2026. The X factor for suitors will be determining how much Crochet can help them down the stretch and in October.
“He’s already thrown (101 1/3) innings as a first-year starter, (28) more than his entire career total entering the season, and the White Sox and Crochet already have a firm plan to greatly limit his workload in the second half.
“It’s quite possible that a team acquiring Crochet would have to offer him a contract extension to lift those second-half innings restrictions because of the potential injury risk.”
Crochet completed another stellar performance Sunday to further bolster his breakout campaign. The left-hander has a 3.02 ERA with a 141-to-20 strikeout-to-walk ratio, a .198 batting average against and a 0.93 WHIP in 101 1/3 innings over 18 starts.
Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has been clear about not throwing away future wins for current victories. Crochet would almost certainly cost one of the big three prospects (Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony and Kyle Teel) and more, but he would be under Boston’s control for two more seasons after 2024 and instantly become a core member of the roster.
Breslow is reportedly Targeting left-handed starting pitchers This summer, crochet is by far the best option in that category.
A mega-trade for the first-time baseball operations leader seems like a pipe dream at this point, but the White Sox’s willingness to trade their young ace is worth noting. The innings limit would be an issue for all contenders, but at least Boston has been planning a multi-year restructuring for years and appears to be a star or two away from being a serious contender.
Crochet’s odds of making it to Boston are incredibly low, but he’s likely one of 15 teams that have reportedly requested at least a ballpark price for one of baseball’s best young pitchers. After missing out on 25-year-old ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the offseason, Breslow could get a second chance this summer.
As coach Alex Cora would say, it’s time to get greedy.
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