Philadelphia Phillies Reportedly Made Offer for Left-Handed Ace at Trade Deadline

The Philadelphia Phillies attempted to sign one of the best pitchers in the game during the deadline.

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-USA TODAY Sports / Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia Phillies had rumored interest in left-hander Garrett Crochet before the trade deadline. Ultimately, nothing came to light a few weeks ago, as the Chicago White Sox ace didn't get traded. 

It didn't come as much of a surprise that he didn't get dealt for a few different reasons. For one, the White Sox don't have any reason to trade him. He's still under team control for the next few seasons, allowing them to have one of the better pitchers in Major League Baseball for a cheap price.

On top of that, he made comments before the trade deadline that suggested that he wanted to be paid before pitching in October if he was dealt to a contending team. That likely turned off many teams interested in his services. 

However, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Phillies weren't one of those teams that were turned off. He reported that Philadelphia was one of two teams that made an offer for Crochet in the final 24 hours of the deadline.

"In the final 24 hours, both the Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies made offers for Crochet that the Chicago White Sox considered attractive, according to sources briefed on the discussions."

The full package wasn't disclosed, but he noted that right-hander Andrew Painter wasn't offered.

"He is under club control for two more seasons. And he has emerged as an ace in his first season as a starter, with an expected ERA in the top seven percent of the league and a strikeout rate in the top 3 percent. But according to sources, the Phillies did not offer righty Andrew Painter, who underwent Tommy John surgery in July 2023."

It's tough to say whether this was the right or wrong decision from the Phillies' perspective. This is his first year as a full-time starting pitcher, which brings many worries about his potential impact in October.

He doesn't look to be slowing down, but with a higher workload than ever before, it was a warranted decision from Philadelphia to pass on him for a package they weren't comfortable moving.

Despite the deal not being completed this time around, the Phillies may revisit it in the next few months. 

In the offseason, they could be looking to get better if they don't win a World Series. Even if they do win one, Dave Dombrowski has never been one to shy away from adding talent, so expect conversations to come up again