3 reasons the Chicago White Sox should trade Garrett Crochet and the holes in them

The trade speculation around Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Garrett Crochet grew more rampant after his general manager's recent comments.

Chris Getz mentioned Crochet's name unsolicited a lot during his meeting with the media on Tuesday as he discussed trade rumors surrounding the team. That has only fueled the notion that the Sox will trade an ace pitcher they just developed before the MLB trade deadline.

It makes sense to trade Crochet, especially since the team has the worst record in franchise history through this point in the season. The farm system needs more bats and Crochet is a trade asset that can be leveraged to get them.

Let's examine the reasons Getz should trade Crochet and the holes in them...

The timeline for being competitive does not match up with how many years the team has Crochet under club control.

Getz admitted he does not have an exact timeline of when the Sox will be competitive again. 2026 feels like the earliest point as to when the team will be ready.

That is pushing it.

The Sox would need Jonathan Cannon to take his recent string of 18.2 innings and turn it into the calling card of his career. The franchise would need the pitching prospects they have in the pipeline to develop as well.

They would also need Edgar Quero, Bryan Ramos, Colson Montgomery, and Jacob Gonzalez to develop into quality big-league hitters. Plus, Getz would need to make some shrewd moves to achieve 2026 being the year the Sox are ready to compete for the AL Central crown.

If the Sox are competitive in 2026, it is also the last year of club control the White Sox will have over Crochet. The timeline not matching up is a good reason to move Crochet to make sure the team gets something for him before possibly losing him for nothing while doing a lot of losing on the field with him on the roster.

The hole in that reason to trade him is the Sox can always sign him to an extension.

They should extend him since he is 24. His age and career trajectory alone are why he should be signed to a five-year extension. Doing it now is one way to save on the cost it will take to extend him down the road.

Now ownership loathes to pay pitchers, but there is precedence for extending young pitchers. The Sox did it with Chris Sale, Jose Quintana, and John Danks. Danks is an example of the fear ownership has of paying pitchers as he got hurt and never was the same.

Crochet has already had his Tommy John surgery, so as long as he can avoid major injuries, he is a player worth investing in.