The Philadelphia Phillies are reportedly attempting to acquire Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Garrett Crochet through trade. Now that Blake Snell appears to be headed to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the bidding for the 26-year-old southpaw may heat up even more. Should Dave Dombrowski, president of baseball operations, rush Chicago to close a deal before another executive steps in? The Phillies’ starting rotation is led by Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola. Cristopher Sanchez and Ranger Suarez are effective mid-rotation pitchers. Taijuan Walker, the veteran, is the team’s one weak link. In his second season of a four-year, $72 million contract, he posted a 7.10 ERA in 83 2/3 innings.
Replacing Walker with Crochet would be a significant improvement. Crochet had a 3.58 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and 209 strikeouts in 146 innings thrown in 2024, earning him his first All-Star selection. With Snell presumably off the market, teams seeking for a left-handed starter, such as the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, can now turn their attention to free agent Max Fried.
However, as available southpaws find new homes in 2025, competition for Crochet will only intensify. Should the Phillies make the White Sox an offer they can’t refuse? FanSided’s Chris Landers proposed the following hypothetical swap: – The Phillies acquire Garrett Crochet, a left-handed pitcher. – White Sox acquire third baseman Alec Bohm, outfielder Justin Crawford, shortstop Starlyn Caba, and right-handed pitcher Taijuan Walker.
Incorporating Walker into this agreement would simply be a method to dump at least some of his pay. The remainder of the bundle would be appealing, however. Despite his difficulties in the postseason, Bohm was an All-Star in 2024, scoring 97 runs in 606 plate appearances. According to MLB.com, Crawford (third) and Caba (fourth) are among the Phillies’ top five prospects.
Is this enough to close a deal for two team-controlled years of Crochet? One would suppose so. However, Chicago general manager Chris Getz should not hurry into a transaction. Last summer, he waited until February to trade Dylan Cease to the San Diego Padres in a similar circumstance. As teams become more eager for a productive left-handed starter, he may wait to see how much he can get in a trade.
