Mets Reportedly Discussing Rising Star Pitcher as Potential Trade Target

The New York Mets are reportedly having conversations about possibly trading for a rising star pitcher this offseason.

Aug 9, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Garrett Crochet (45) delivers a pitch against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at Guaranteed Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images / Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The New York Mets are seeking starting pitching this offseason whether it be through free agency or via trade.

One route they could go is pursuing a blockbuster deal for Chicago White Sox left-handed starter Garrett Crochet, who was surprisingly not dealt at last summer's trade deadline.

As MLB insider Jon Heyman of The New York Post reported, the Mets are among the teams having conversations about Crochet.

The belief is that Crochet wants to sign a contract extension upon being acquired by a new team, as ESPN's Jeff Passan recently mentioned on ESPN's Baseball Tonight podcast. This was likely the main reason he did not get traded at the deadline because he wanted a new deal before agreeing to pitch in the postseason.

A number of crucial Mets starters' from last season are now free agents, including Sean Manaea, Luis Severino and Jose Quintana. The Mets could still bring back any of these arms, but will also likely be in on names such as Blake Snell, Max Fried and Corbin Burnes.

Crochet makes sense for the Mets given he doesn't turn 26-years-old until June of the 2025 season. Signing a starter in their mid-20s to a long-term deal is less of a risk than inking one of the available free agent candidates, who are all in their early-30s.

However, the Mets would have to surrender a number of prospects to land Crochet in a trade with the rebuilding White Sox.

As White Sox GM Chris Getz told 670 The Score during the week, Chicago is looking for position players in a deal for Crochet.

“We are focusing on position player return,” Getz said. “That is our primary focus in any trade talks. The right players have to be there. We can't force anything. We certainly need to improve our offense. That is very clear. That is what we need to do in any trade or free-agent acquisition.”

The Mets do fit this bill as they have several position player prospects that have big-league experience or are close to being MLB ready. These players include Brett Baty, Luisangel Acuna, Ronny Mauricio and Drew Gilbert.

Crochet comes with two more years of team control. He had a breakout campaign for the lowly White Sox in 2024, posting a 3.58 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 209 strikeouts across 146 innings (32 starts).

Acquiring Crochet in a trade this winter is one possible direction the Mets can take to add to their rotation. And it sounds like they're at least mulling this scenario early on in the offseason.