Baltimore Orioles Land Star Pitcher in Hypothetical Trade Idea

The Baltimore Orioles add a great young pitcher in recent trade proposal

Sep 13, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet (45) delivers against the Oakland Athletics during the first inning at Guaranteed Rate Field. / Matt Marton-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles are heading into the offseason looking to build upon what was another successful regular season that ended in an early playoff exit. 

This offseason, the Orioles are going to be prioritizing a few key areas as they hope to improve and become a World Series contender. To start, bringing back Corbin Burnes will be their top priority as he hits free agency. 

Burnes is likely going to be the highest paid pitcher this winter, and rightfully so. The right-hander had an excellent season with Baltimore and was a big part of why they made the playoffs. 

While bringing back Burnes is very important, the Orioles seemingly recognize that they need more help at starting pitching if they truly want to become a contender. 

Recently, Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report proposed a hypothetical trade that sent Garrett Crochet of the Chicago White Sox to the Orioles. 

“Hypothetical Trade: Baltimore sends C/1B Samuel Basallo and RHP Alex Pham to the Chicago White Sox for LHP Garrett Crochet. Between its stockpile of coveted prospects and its need for starting pitching, Baltimore was well-regarded as the favorite to acquire Crochet a few months ago. Even after trading for Zach Eflin and Trevor Rogers, who are under team control through at least 2025, the Orioles should remain near the top of the list of teams pursuing Crochet this offseason.”

Crochet was highly talked about at the trade deadline, and the Orioles were one of the teams that was interested. The young left-hander is looking to sign an extension if he gets moved, and the Orioles are still a great fit for him. 

Even though he had a record well under .500, the southpaw totaled an ERA of 3.58 with 209 strikeouts in 2024, as his win-loss total was a reflection of the poor team he played for. 

For the White Sox, moving Crochet this winter seems inevitable as they prepare for what could be a lengthy rebuild. With the left-hander being one of their best assets, they need to make sure that they get a good return for him. 

Headlining the proposed deal is Samuel Basallo, who is not only one of Baltimore’s best prospects, but one of the top prospects overall in baseball. 

This deal certainly makes sense for both sides, as the Orioles would be getting a pitcher capable of being a No.2 pitcher behind Burnes. Furthermore, for Chicago, Basallo could be a solid building block for their rebuild.