Chicago White Sox Widely Expected to Trade Garrett Crochet Before 2025

As trade rumors continue to swirl around Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Garrett Crochet, the Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers and Baltimore Orioles have emerged as his most likely suitors.

Jul 23, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Chicago White Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet (45) throws during the second inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. / Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images

The MLB offseason may be in its early days, but it might not take long for one of the biggest pieces to come off the board.

The Athletic's Jim Bowden wrote an article Tuesday breaking down the top 15 players who could get traded this winter, and Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Garrett Crochet was ranked No. 2 on the list. It wasn't particularly bold to include Crochet in that group, considering White Sox general manager Chris Getz has publicly confirmed the trade buzz and spoken openly about what he is looking for in a potential return.

Still, Bowden doubled down on the certainty of a Crochet deal, based on what he had been hearing from around the league. He wrote that every front office executive he has spoken to believes the 25-year-old left-hander will be traded before the end of the year.

From Zac Gallen to Garrett Crochet to Vladimir Guerroro MLB all-star players who could be traded this offseason despite some teams denials: https://t.co/qlsv7Srd9b

— Jim Bowden⚾️ (@JimBowdenGM) November 12, 2024

On top of that, league executives have apparently pegged the Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles as the most likely landing spots for Crochet. All three teams are likely to be in the market for a top-of-the-rotation starter, and they all have young position players who could draw Chicago's interest.

Crochet only became a starter this season, two years removed from undergoing Tommy John surgery. He entered 2024 having pitched just 73.0 innings in the big leagues, posting a 2.71 ERA, 1.329 WHIP, 85 strikeouts and a 1.8 WAR as a reliever.

The southpaw wound up going 6-12 with a 3.58 ERA, 1.068 WHIP, 12.9 strikeouts per nine innings and a 4.1 WAR across 32 starts this season. Because of his injury history, Chicago's putrid win-loss record and the lack of a long-term contract extension, though, Crochet never pitched past the fourth inning after July 1.

Whoever trades for Crochet would surely expect him to take on a heavier workload, especially if they sign him to a new deal. The All-Star is currently under team control for two more seasons.

The White Sox already traded an ace last offseason, dealing Dylan Cease to the San Diego Padres. That deal didn't come together until March, but a Crochet move could materialize far sooner.

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