Getz also made three big mistakes.
The first mistake was he let Garrett Crochet's representation or potential trade partners tank the ace pitcher's trade value.
Crochet's demand for a contract extension from a potential trade suitor to get him to pitch in October is a big reason Garrett is still on the team.
Now there is nothing with Crochet looking out for his bottom line. He is making $800k and it is his first year as a starter. The risk of arm issues is a reason he is on a pitch count the rest of the way to preserve his arm. So if he took on the risk to pitch more innings, that could seriously affect his future earnings.
Where Getz errored was he allowed Crochet's camp to let it get out or even worse, he let potential trade partners short Garrett's value by letting the news get out.
i believe this was the first report of an extension for the postseason…
— Sean Anderson (@Sean_W_Anderson) July 30, 2024
bob said recently that he knew of this last month.
why would CAA and crochet want this leaked?
why would it take them a month to leak it?
this 100% is an interested team trying to drive his value down. https://t.co/7uURRB1790 pic.twitter.com/M2NgJVLkYA
A stronger, savvy, and more experienced GM finds a way to keep this under wraps.
The second mistake he made was he did not maximize Erick Fedde's trade value.
The Sox got three prospects from the Dodgers in a three-team deal that sent Fedde and Tommy Pham to the St. Louis Cardinals and Michael Kopech to LA.
That is all he got. The Cardinals did not have to give up a single prospect. St. Louis got two big-league players, and possibly the best starting pitcher available on the trade market, and got cash from the Sox.
You always want quality in a trade, but this was the case where the Sox should have gotten some volume considering Fedde alone should have been worth two prospects. Pham was worth a scratch-off prospect which the team got. Since sellers were getting something of worth for bullpen arms, another prospect should have come the Sox way for Kopech.
The third mistake was he failed to trade veterans such as Chris Flexen, Gavin Sheets, and John Brebbia.
Flexen's value was not going to be high, but his ability to be a decent fifth starter and then move into long relief for a contender should have netted a prospect who the team could take a flier on.
Brebbia is having a terrible July, but he is still a veteran and most contenders have a better pitch lab than the Sox. Plus, Flexen and Brebbia are not going to be on next year's team, so it would have smart to get a scratch-off prospect and see if it hits.
Gavin Sheets is another player who is not a long-term piece, but he is a left-handed bat with some pop and ability to get on base. It would have made more sense to trade him for even a reclamation project.
The Sox need bats in their system, and even if they are someone you are taking a flier on, it is better than what the team will get from Flexen and Brebbia next season--which is nothing. This should now be the evaluation of younger players to see if they can help next season. All Flexen, Brebbia, and Sheets are doing is getting in the way.