Trade rumors are starting to swirl around the Chicago White Sox
Garrett Crochet and Luis Robert Jr. are reportedly available on the trade market.
The Chicago White Sox are the worst team in baseball so it is no surprise that they will be sellers at the trade deadline.
What is surprising is that young, talented players under team control are rumored to be on the trading block according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.
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— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) June 4, 2024
New reporting on all 30 teams and their plans for the July 30 deadline. The sellers. The buyers. The undecideds. And the teams on which this deadline is going to hinge. All the names you need to know here: https://t.co/QidBUgsDv6
He has the Sox at the top of his unloaders list. Well, it is because he went by alphabetical order by city, but still, it does not take a genius to see the White Sox will be an obvious seller before the trade deadline next month.
Passan lists Tommy Pham as an obvious trade candidate. Pitcher Erick Fedde also makes sense to be moved. He also said the Sox have no sacred cows so that also means Garrett Crochet and Luis Robert Jr. are available on the trade market.
The Athletic's Dennis Lin and Ken Rosenthal also reported that the San Diego Padres are interested in Crochet's services.
Padres, in search of more starting pitching, pursuing White Sox’s Garrett Crochet. Story with @dennistlin: https://t.co/8K0P7n4jAz
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) June 4, 2024
Here is what you need to take into account when it comes to what the White Sox will be looking for in return and what could impact their potential trades...
SoxMachine.com's White Sox beat reporter James Fegan was on local radio station, 670 the Score, and he said the team wants to acquire talent that is in Double-A or Triple-A.
The #Sox have lost 11-straight and Tommy Pham wants to hit somebody. @JRFegan now joins @BernsyHolmes w/@dan_bernstein & @LaurenceWHolmes to help make sense of everything.
— Bernstein & Holmes Show (@BernsyHolmes) June 3, 2024
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Lin and Rosenthal also wrote the Sox want position players with upside. Fegan pointed out it is going to be hard to get a premium prospect that close to the big leagues based on what the White Sox have to trade a contender.
Typically, a contender is going to be reluctant to part with a cornerstone prospect no matter how desperate they are. It is unlikely the Baltimore Orioles are going to move prospects such as Samuel Basallo, Coby Mayo, or Heston Kjerstad (prospects in MLB.com's Top 25) for say a package of Tommy Pham, Erick Fedde, and Chris Flexen. The Sox might have to bundle all their veteran trade assets to get those prospects. While you will get quality in that hypothetical, you still want to get some quantity for what the Sox have to offer on the trade market. So do not put all your eggs in one basket.
Also, Fegan describes if you can get a contender to give up a prospect so close to the big leagues, it might mean the prospects the Sox get back will come with some risk, like a low ceiling. Just look at Drew Thorpe and his lack of velocity. The Padres did not bat an eye at giving him up for Dylan Cease because his floor is a decent starter, and it might also be his ceiling.
It also reflects that general manager Chris Getz is probably going to have a high asking price at first and maybe have to come off that price.
It also represents that the Sox could blow rebuild 2.0 by ignoring players with high ceilings or even not getting the best player back just because said prospect is in A-ball. The New York Mets only got one prospect back for Tommy Pham last year. It was a high risk, high reward player but that is probably the market for Pham.
Also, Crochet and Robert Jr. do not have to be moved right now as both are under team control. So Getz should only move those two if he gets a massive offer.
Keep in mind that Crochet and Robert Jr. still have flaws that might not yield a comparable return.
Robert Jr. just returned from a nearly two-month stay on the injured list. Last season was the first time he played over 100 games. He still lacks a lot of plate discipline. While his 2023 season was amazing, it was the first time he lived up to his potential. Crochet is in his first season as a starter after only throwing 73 innings. There will be an innings limits issue down the road.
Plus, both have the potential to have the next competitive built around them. That is why it makes more sense to keep them, or at the very least, wait until the offseason to move them.
It will be a seller's market for starting pitching, but other sellers also have starting pitching to offer.
That could impact how much general manager Chris Getz presses for a return in any trade.
The Angels will probably trade Tyler Anderson while the Rockies are willing to move Cal Quantrill and Austin Gomber.
The Marlins are willing to trade their entire rotation according to Passan including Jesus Luzardo. The Mets can offer up Luis Severino and Sean Manaea. The A’s can trade Paul Blackburn, Ross Stripling, and Alex Wood while the Nationals can put Trevor Williams on the market.
If the Tigers decide to become sellers, Jack Flaherty then is added to the market and the Astros could dangle Framber Valdez if they wave the white flag.
Who needs starting pitching?
The Milwaukee Brewers starting rotation is banged up. The Orioles lost Tyler Wells and John Means for the season. The Braves might want to solidify their rotation despite getting great production out of Reynaldo Lopez and Chris Sale. The fear is they may return to the mean soon and the mean is Lopez struggles (Sox fans know this for a fact) and Sale no longer can beat father time.
Plus, the Braves are without Spencer Strider. The Padres also want pitching. You can never rule out the Dodgers and the Yankees either.
Who makes sense for the White Sox to move?
Trading veterans such as Pham, Flexen, and Fedde makes complete sense. Also, Paul DeJong should help a team with the pop in his bat and his fielding ability (once it is rediscovered after he leaves Chicago). Relievers Michael Kopech and Tim Hill should have value too.
The Cubs need bullpen help and might have enough bats close to the majors that they could part with.
The only untouchable player on the 26-man roster should be catcher Korey Lee. It is only because if he continues to prove he can hit, you have a player under team control that can catch and DH for years to come.
Crochet should be extended instead.
He should be the pitcher the Sox build the rotation around. He has proven so far that he is a stud on the mound. While the White Sox have plenty of pitching depth in their system, it is still unknown if any of their prospects will develop into starters, let alone an ace.
Crochet is an All-Star appearance away while continuing to pitch like he is right now (the man shut down the Brewers' potent offense for cripes sake!) from being a certified ace. That is a guy you extend especially since he does not turn 25 until July.
The only way the Sox should consider trading Crochet right now is if they get a Godfather offer of prospects or if Crochet informs the Sox he is being represented by Scott Boras--then there is no hope of an extension.
The other reason the Sox should hold onto Crochet and Robert Jr. is they need some draws at the box office. Sure, Colson Montgomery and Bryan Ramos are promising prospects, but they might be nothing more than their floor which is solid everyday players. The pitching prospects they have are promising, but pitchers only go every five days. Robert Jr. is worth the price of admission, and it makes sense to keep a young pitcher right now that you can pay to see pitch every five days.
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