Trade rumors have been swirling again this offseason about one of the prime targets of the Philadelphia Phillies during this past season's trade deadline: Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Garrett Crochet. Word has it that the White Sox are looking for a trade package similar to or even better than what they got previously for Dylan Cease, with their main focus on position players to help boost their offense in the coming years.
So if the Phillies are in it once again in their pursuit of Crochet, who would they have to give up in a potential trade for the star 25-year-old left-hander? Here, we will take a look at three candidates who could likely see themselves as part of the package going the other way to get the deal done.
3 position players the Phillies should trade for Garrett Crochet
Alec Bohm
What better way to start it off than to include the hottest player on the Phillies’ trade block right now, Alec Bohm? Although the White Sox may be putting their focus primarily on promising prospects, it sure doesn’t beat getting a young-ish, stud third baseman who has put together back-to-back 97 RBI seasons while batting close to a solid .280 each year.
For a White Sox team that got only 11 home runs, 43 RBI and a dismal .187 batting average out of their third base position in 2024, Bohm would automatically represent a huge upgrade at the position for the club.
Would Chicago want to move ahead with the likes of Lenyn Sosa and Bryan Ramos, or would they want an MLB-proven piece in Bohm that they could build around? For a team that finished dead last in the entire league last season after finishing first in the AL Central just three years ago, there’s no doubt that they will want to return to that success sooner rather than later. As a result, Bohm should help accelerate that rebuild a lot quicker.
Starlyn Caba
When the White Sox dealt away Cease, one thing that they lamented was the fact they didn’t get back many prospects ranked in the Top 100 MLB Pipeline prospects list. They're unlikely to make that same mistake this time around; the Phillies will likely need to include at least one that is a part of that distinguished list.
With Aidan Miller and Justin Crawford close to as untouchable as it gets, Philadelphia must sacrifice their next best prospect in the Top 100, Starlyn Caba. Ranked No. 4 among top prospects in the Phillies organization and 81st in all of baseball, Caba is one of those unique pure hitters that walks a ton and rarely strikes out.
As a result, for a White Sox team that ranked dead last in walks and 17th in strikeouts this past season, Caba could help with rectifying that issue when he finally makes the big leagues. Although his batting average was a little disappointing during his 2024 minor league season, he still managed to raise his stock by scoring a whopping 57 runs with 50 stolen bases, along with 67 walks and just 49 strikeouts in 78 games played.
Caba might not be a prolific power hitter, but there’s no doubt in his elite ability to generate run production. In fact, he could even become the White Sox’s prime leadoff hitter down the road if developed properly.
Griffin Burkholder
With the White Sox getting decent help in the infield already with Bohm and Caba, it is time to add an outfielder into the mix. With that, we have the Phillies' No. 8 prospect Griffin Burkholder. Some could argue that it should be No. 7 prospect Dante Nori, but with Chicago looking for bats with the greatest potential, Burkholder has the edge over Nori. After all, at only the young age of 19, Burkholder already holds a towering six-foot-two frame and 195 pounds, whereas Nori has already maxed out at five-foot-ten and 190 pounds at age 20.
Added to the fact that scouting reports have the No. 8 prospect with plus raw power in addition to plus-plus speed, he has the potential to wreak havoc both at the plate and on the basepaths when fully developed (think maybe even Ronald Acuña Jr. anyone?). It will certainly be tough for the Phillies to give up a player who could potentially max out into a superstar, but if they really want an ace-like starter in the making in Crochet, it will be a gamble that they will need to take.