5 MLB Trade Offers the White Sox Would Take For Garrett Crochet

My favorite time of the year that only comes around twice has finally arrived: Mock Trades Season.

With the Winter Meetings just a few weeks out, the market is due to get rolling soon, which will lead to teams exploring trade targets they can consider as an alternative.

Enter Garrett Crochet. The White Sox ace just posted a massive breakout season as a starter, pushing himself into the upper echelon of starters in MLB.

Chicago is clearly in rebuilding mode and with Crochet having just two years of control left, he seems like one of the most obvious trade candidates in baseball. He does come with some concerns though as the left-hander had never thrown even close to the innings he tossed last year but every pitcher comes with arm risk these days.

Crochet’s complicated deadline “extension demand” scenario led to his market shrinking and the White Sox ultimately shifting focus to this winter.

Now, more teams can likely join the bidding, especially those potentially priced out in free agency or unwilling to pay for top arms. Crochet will be extremely affordable over the next two years and will likely sign a fairly team-friendly extension.

There are at least a double-digit number of teams that will inquire about Crochet and consider putting together an offer. For the sake of creating proposed deals, I picked the five I see as the most likely to make it happen this winter with a few honorable mentions who could as well.

A deal for Crochet will have to start with two high-end prospects or young players, likely a fairly elite one included, in addition to a third or fourth asset depending on the initial pair.

One immediately ready piece would be nice, but prioritizing talent and upside comes first for Chicago. Plenty of teams will be in contact with Chris Getz and the White Sox this winter, but let’s look at some Garrett Crochet mock trades, and what the White Sox could be acquiring in a blockbuster for their ace.

Baltimore Orioles

The Orioles have begun to really irritate me as they have all the young talent in the world and their big move at the deadline was Trevor Rogers, who didn’t even make their postseason roster. The time is now and no later than now for the Orioles to add pitching and strengthen this roster.

With Corbin Burnes seemingly unlikely to return, Baltimore will need to add at least one and likely two legit starters. If they can’t afford a Burnes or Snell, Crochet is likely the best arm they could reasonably acquire, albeit with risk.

Baltimore’s biggest question and the potential barrier in such a deal though is are they willing to part with either Coby Mayo or Samuel Basallo?

Their elite young core of prospects has dwindled as many players have graduated in the past two years. One of these two would represent a clear headliner, but a deal without either would be more complicated.

A few other prospects in their system such as Enrique Bradfield, Dylan Beavers, and others all seem like good fits in a deal. The White Sox have a clear need for outfielders with upside especially if they end up trading Luis Robert in the near future.

It would also be in consideration to move a big league piece like Heston Kjerstad or Jordan Westburg who were just recently top 100 level prospects.

One deal could be centered around Mayo or Basallo with one or two smaller pieces added in, but the more likely option is a package of three or four quality pieces. Bradfield and Beavers is a logical starting point with both being outfielders who can reach the bigs fairly soon.

Potential Trade Package: OF Enrique Bradfield (JB MLB No. 71), OF Dylan Beavers, LHP Cade Povich, C Creed Willems

Beyond Bradfield and Beavers, the White Sox may lean into their recent strength with left-handed pitchers and replace Crochet with a Cade Povich. He debuted this season and showed that he could be a potential back-end starter at the MLB level. Chayce McDermott could be another arm on the table, but the White Sox seem like a better fit with Povich.

With neither top prospect in this deal, a sweetener could be added with that trio of exciting pieces. Max Wagner, Creed Willems, and a handul of others could be considered. I’ll go with Willems as he’s coming off a strong showing at the AFL and doesn’t really have a place in Baltimore.

Philadelphia Phillies

After a step forward in the regular season, as they finally took the NL East from the Atlanta Braves, the Phillies fell flat against the Mets in the playoffs. In the past three postseasons, the Phillies have experienced less and less success, going from the World Series loss in 2022 to the NLCS in 2023, and then now getting eliminated in the NLDS in 2024.

This playoff frustration has put the Phillies into the mode where they are looking to get creative this offseason, with talks of them potentially trading Alec Bohm, amongst other sweeping changes, to remake their roster for another crack at winning it all before their contention window closes.

This Phillies roster is certainly not getting younger and they’ve got to make the moves needed to win right now. While their rotation was excellent last year, Cristopher Sanchez is far from a lock to maintain his elite numbers and Ranger Suarez was brutal in the later portion of the season.

Securing another star arm to slot in behind Zack Wheeler, while having Andrew Painter on the way, would make this the best rotation in baseball heading into 2025.

Philadelphia has a steadily-improving system led by the aforementioned Painter. He’s the second-best pitching prospect in baseball and all but untouchable.

The second elite prospect in their system is Aidan Miller, who shined in his first full professional season after being taken in the first round in 2023. He too seems highly unlikely to be traded, but it’s not out of the question considering Dave Dombrowski’s track record of trading top assets.

If Miller were to be on the table, a package headlined by him would possibly only need one additional prospect to make it happen. He would be just about the highest upside bat Chicago could acquire, aside from maybe one of the O’s top two guys.

Without Miller in the picture, attention would turn toward a pair of 18-year-old hitters with a ton of intrigue.

Potential Trade Package: C Eduardo Tait (JB MLB No. 52), SS Starlyn Caba (JB MLB No. 72), OF Gabriel Rincones Jr., RHP Michael Mercado

Catcher Eduardo Tait was a huge riser on our Top 100 after destroying FCL pitching and getting 28 games under his belt in Single-A during a season in which he was 17 years old until the final couple of weeks.

Shortstop Starlyn Caba had a similar trajectory as he played his final 26 games in Single-A. While he struggled at the level, Caba’s glove is exceptional and his blend of approach and speed gives him ample room to blossom at the plate.

Ideally, Philadelphia would want to keep one of these two young stars. But given that they likely will make Miller unattainable, the White Sox getting both of the young upside pieces seems realistic.

That duo presents Chicago with two core pieces for the distant future when they hope to be competitive again. A third piece that is closer to being league-ready would need to be added in for a little bit of safety, but this deal would be the upside swing type for Chicago.

Justin Crawford could be the target here but that may be a tad too rich of a third piece given the first two. I went with Gabriel Ricones Jr. who is coming off a solid showing in the AFL and still has a similar trajectory to Crawford as an outfielder with power potential.

Recent top draft picks Danti Nori and Griffin Burkholder could also be in play for a trade but seem more likely to be involved if one of Tait or Caba isn’t in the deal.

A flyer in the form of an arm could be included to balance out the risk of the two main pieces being such young players. A number of older arms fill out the back half of Philadelphia’s system and could get more of a run at innings in Chicago.

Los Angeles Dodgers

A mock trade article cannot be complete without including the reigning champs. The Dodgers will always be in the mix for big trade candidates and despite winning the World Series, they have some holes to try and fill this winter.

Pitching is always valuable and needed for every contender and the Dodgers have dealt with their fair share of injuries recently. Their trade with the White Sox and Cardinals played a big role in their championship and they could turn to Chicago for another huge asset.

While their farm is always strong, the Dodgers don’t have as many high-end pieces as they often have in recent years. Given the White Sox late of late-impact bats, Dalton Rushing would be the clear target as a headliner given that he’s just about ready for the next level and now has experience at first base and in a corner outfield spot.

If Los Angeles thinks Rushing will truly be a key part of their 2025 team, Josue De Paula would be the other option to lead a deal for Crochet. The 19-year-old outfielder has a ton of upside and showed a well balanced profile between Single-A and High-A this season.

One of those two is an excellent start to a return, but the Dodgers may still be hesitant there.

Zyhir Hope checks in as Just Baseball’s 16th-ranked prospect, but his impressive rise makes him hard to consider trading. Given their clear win-now plan of action though, I think they’d be willing to deal one of those names and fill out the rest of the deal with one proximity piece and another long-term upside one.

Potential Trade Package: C Dalton Rushing (JB MLB No. 23), SS Alex Freeland, SS Emil Morales

Fresh off a breakout season, Alex Freeland would be an obvious target for the Sox as they need infielders with offensive pop. He had 53 extra-base hits last year and while walking consistently and flashing plus speed. Any of Joendry Vargas, Emil Morales, and Eduardo Quintero would be an ideal project player to acquire as a third piece as well with ample room to develop.

Los Angeles may be more likely to go the free agency route because they continue to spend in excess every year, but they do have the pieces necessary for a Crochet deal. A package headlined by Rushing or De Paula could be better than anything else on the table this winter.

Boston Red Sox

It may seem odd to see a team that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2021 as a suitor to trade for a new ace, but the Boston Red Sox are seemingly ready to be more aggressive this winter.

They have already been linked to both Juan Soto and Corbin Burnes in free agency, as they seemingly look to be a real player on the market again.

They seem destined to sign a big name or two, but they may not stop there. They have one of the best farm systems in baseball, probably the best in terms of offensive talent, and could swing a big trade as they seek more pitching upside.

Our top overall MLB prospect Roman Anthony is certainly off the table and it feels unlikely that Boston will dish Marcelo Mayer or Kristian Campbell given that all three are expected to contribute at the MLB level in 2025. Campbell could be the headline piece of a deal, but a deeper package might be possible without him being involved.

The Red Sox have an overflow of outfield options, which has made Wilyer Abreu a popular trade idea coming off a quietly great rookie season. Chicago could instantly plug him into their everyday right field spot, while adding a variety of talent for the future.

Abreu would be a huge upgrade defensively and offensively at a position the White Sox have lacked for many years.

A few months ago, Braden Montgomery was in play for the White Sox with the fifth overall pick and would be a very clear secondary target for them. He’s the ideal player to be able to potentially replace a Luis Robert hole when he is eventually dealt. Boston has a plethora of young upside hitters to fill out a deal with Chicago likely wanting at least one project piece in a deal.

Potential Trade Package: OF Wilyer Abreu, OF Braden Montgomery (JB MLB No. 77), SS Franklin Arias, LHP Connelly Early

If they want to stick with the hitting side, Franklin Arias, Yoeilin Cespedes, or Miguel Bleis would make sense as the third piece in a deal.

Luis Perales is the clear highest-upside arm in a bat-heavy system and could make sense but Boston likely wants to hold there. One more close-to-league-ready piece may be added on top, but a trio of Abreu, Montgomery, and one of the young projects is a logical place to build this deal.

One additional sweetener, particularly in the form of a young arm, could be added in to make up for not having a top prospect in this deal. However, it’s already a very strong deal with one player who will start everyday in Chicago, another who could in a year, and great young project.

Boston is a rare team that can make a deal happen for Crochet without including any of their top four prospects. If they’re serious about contending this season, they should be one of the favorites to make this type of blockbuster happen.

Chicago Cubs

The last time the White Sox dealt a star pitcher to the Cubs it turned out rather poorly for the North Side as Dylan Cease blossomed into a star for the White Sox while Jose Quintana struggled. However, Garrett Crochet is another level of a pitcher and the Cubs are seeking a few big pieces to push them into the legit playoff tier in the National League.

Furthermore, the Cubs have a loaded system of hitters approaching their ETA with essentially nowhere to play half of them right now. Trading Cody Bellinger could be part of the solution, but they still have talent that could be dealt and adding an ace would be huge.

They’re likely to start with the free agent market but could slide into the Crochet sweepstakes more seriously if they can’t land a top arm available there. In terms of prospect fit, their plethora of hitters lines up well with what the White Sox want to acquire.

Owen Caissie jumps out to me as the clear first target given the lack of outfield playing time available for him on one side of the city and gaping hole in right field on the other side of town. With excellent raw power, Caissie had 51 XBH this season in Triple-A despite some swing-and-miss concerns limiting his consistency. He would immediately start in right field for the White Sox.

Infielder Matt Shaw is the other top hitting prospect in the Cubs system but it appears to me he’s the less likely one to be traded even though he too doesn’t have a clear spot to get playing time since they dealt for Isaac Paredes.

While the Cubs have other pieces at the upper levels, a younger upside piece makes a lot of sense at the front of this duo alongside Caissie.

Potential Trade Package: OF Owen Caissie (JB MLB No. 35), SS Jefferson Rojas (JB MLB No. 53), RHP Jaxon Wiggins

Young shortstop Jefferson Rojas is an ideal secondary piece as he offers the potential of an above-average starting shortstop.

Despite struggling during an aggressive assignment to High-A, he flashed natural raw power this season and an already solid feel to hit at just 19 years old. He should stick and be a strong defender at shortstop as well.

Jacob Tristanos or Kevin Alcantara could be interesting secondary pieces as well, but a player with less proximaty probably makes more sense as the compliment to Caissie.

A third piece with some excitement would round out a deal well but the duo of Caissie and Rojas is an excellent place to start a package.

The White Sox could push for another young hitter like a Pedro Ramirez or Christian Hernandez, who both ended the season in High-A. They could also opt for an arm that they can develop as they’ve had a stronger ability to hone in on pitchers in recent years.

Jaxon Wiggins is the clear second-best arm in a system with mainly hitting prospects and has that type of upside. His fastball is excellent and he cruised through a handful of Single-A starts before making another eight in High-A.

Trades between the Chicago teams don’t happen often, but this one could make sense for both sides right now.

Honorable Mentions: New York Mets, Texas Rangers. Washington Nationals

All of these teams were firmly in consideration and could definitely have a seat at the table in the Crochet sweepstakes. The Mets and the Rangers will both certainly add arms this winter while the Nationals are probably a year away from big moves but are trending in the right direction with their talented farm system.

The Mets seem more likely to make their splashes in free agency, thanks to having Steve Cohen as their owner. The Rangers make sense due to their need for quality yet affordable pitching but just appear less likely than some of the other options listed.

The Nationals would be an extremely fun destination as their lineup has serious upside and they need some high-end pitching. But as mentioned prior, they’re not quite there yet.