Baltimore Orioles Named 'Best Match' for Elite Left-Handed Pitcher

The Baltimore Orioles pitching staff would get a huge addition if they landed this starter.

Jun 24, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet (45) delivers against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning at Guaranteed Rate Field. / Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Orioles starting pitching injuries have caused some issues and will only continue to do so. With three starters out for the rest of the year, they'll have to make multiple moves at the deadline to make up for what they lost.

If the Orioles want, they could theoretically go out and land multiple high-end arms. The farm system is clearly one of, if not the best, in baseball, so the pieces are there to make a move.

On the other hand, they could look to make trades for other needs and trade for depth on the mound. If they did that, they wouldn't have to move some of the top prospects in their system.

Jeff Passan of ESPN listed the top fits for contenders, listing Baltimore's weakness as their starting pitching. Passan named Garrett Crochet as the "best match" for the club.

"Which leaves Crochet, who has been one of the best starters in baseball for the White Sox this season -- and, in his first year as a starter, has already exceeded his innings total from the first four seasons of his career.

"Baltimore's restraint is among the organization's best qualities, but without a World Series appearance in more than 40 years, the Orioles can stand to take a risk on Crochet, whose fastball-cutter combination should launch him to his first All-Star appearance."

This deadline does pose some challenges in terms of landing a "star." Crochet has proven to be an above-average arm, but there are questions that come with trading for him.

This is his first season as a starter, and while he's thrown well, he's already thrown nearly double the amount of innings that he has in his career.

The 25-year-old doesn't look to be slowing down, but with a new workload like never before in his career, there's a risk of him getting tired or injured the more he throws.

Despite that, there aren't a ton of other options when it comes to a high-level arm. If they land Crochet, there will be an argument that he's the best pitcher to get traded. There aren't many else out there doing what he does.

Another factor they'll have to consider is if moving what they might have to move makes sense. If that cost isn't worth it for them, it could be a good idea to pivot elsewhere.

In the event that the front office feels like it's a content deal, Crochet would be an intriguing option.