Padres Trade Proposal Sends 200-Strikeout Ace to San Diego in Blockbuster Move

Maren Angus-Coombs | Nov 10, 2024

Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Imagine a San Diego Padres starting rotation that includes Yu Darvish, Dylan Cease, Michael King, Matt Waldron, Randy Vásquez/Jhony Brito, and Garrett Crochet.

It's a hypothetical thought at the moment but Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report cooked up a trade proposal that could bring the Chicago White Sox 200-strikeout ace to San Diego.

In order to get Crochet, the Padres would have to give up quite a few prospects. Miller suggests San Diego sends catcher Ethan Salas, left-handed pitcher Kash Mayfield, and outfielder Kavares Tears to Chicago for Crochet.

Salas is likely the Padres' top prospect, with Mayfield ranked third and Tears just outside the top five. However, none of the three are close to being MLB-ready. With 2025 possibly marking San Diego's final season as a strong World Series contender, the team's competitive window may be closing fast.

With Joe Musgrove sidelined after Tommy John surgery and both Cease and King nearing their final season before free agency, San Diego urgently needs a cost-effective, multi-year option to stabilize its rotation and stay competitive into 2025 and beyond.

Unfortunately, replicating the March trade for Cease, where they sent Chicago their fifth, seventh, and eighth-ranked prospects, likely won't be enough this time. The Padres' farm system is significantly depleted compared to its strength right after the Juan Soto trade.

Trading away three of the top prospects won't replenish the depleted farm system but Crochet would give San Diego an addition to its win-now mindset.

Alongside Cease and King hitting free agency after next season, the Padres are also set to lose Luis Arraez, with Robert Suarez likely to depart via his opt-out clause. Yu Darvish will turn 39 next summer, while Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts will both be well into their 30s, each reaching age 33 before the 2025 postseason.

While Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill remain long-term pieces, the Padres face significant decisions as they look toward Opening Day 2026. In the meantime, they could maximize their chances in 2025 by pursuing another ace from the White Sox.

Selected 11th overall in the 2020 draft, Crochet underwent Tommy John surgery in April 2022, causing him to miss that entire season and most of the next. Due to the pandemic, his lengthy recovery, and his exclusive use as a reliever in the majors, Crochet managed just 88.2 innings across all levels from 2020 to 2023.