Padres Trade Target Will Come With 'Exorbitant' Asking Price: Report

J.P. Hoornstra | Jun 20, 2024

Apr 13, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Garrett Crochet (center) meets with teammates at the mound during the second inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Guaranteed Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports / Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports

The San Diego Padres probably figured they acquired the Chicago White Sox's best starting pitcher on March 13, when they acquired right-hander Dylan Cease for four players including prospect Drew Thorpe.

Cease's 3.95 earned-run average and 6-6 record leave something to be desired, but there's no questioning his value to the Padres' staff. In a season that's seen veterans Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove miss nine starts between them, Cease has been a model of consistency. He's thrown 86.2 innings, second on the staff to Michael King, and hasn't missed a turn in the rotation.

In light of these injuries, could the Padres make a move to acquire another White Sox starter? Ken Rosenthal and Dennis Lin of The Athletic reported the Padres' interest in left-hander Garrett Crochet earlier this month. But it takes two to tango.

More recently, USA Today's Bob Nightengale relayed rudimentary details of the asking price for Crochet. The pitcher won't come cheap.

"The Chicago White Sox realize that Garrett Crochet’s value may never be higher," Nightengale wrote, "so their asking price is exorbitant, hoping that contenders aren’t deterred by Crochet’s injury history and the need to curtail his innings in the second half, perhaps making him a reliever in the postseason.

The report suggests the White Sox might be haunted by the return they got years ago for ace Chris Sale, a package headlined by Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech and Luis Alexander Basabe. None of the three delivered the impact the White Sox were hoping. That could be driving up the asking price for Crochet — through no fault of the Padres.

Against this backdrop, it's worth noting that the emergence of Matt Waldron and a successful return by Darvish could lessen the Padres' need to add to their rotation.

At 38-40, the Padres are hanging around the wild card race. General manager A.J. Preller, aggressive under normal circumstances, might be motivated to keep Crochet from falling into the hands of a rival GM himself.