The Philadelphia Phillies are rumored to want to shake things up heading into the 2025 season. Manager Rob Thomson’s club has been one of the top teams in Major League Baseball over the last three seasons, but they haven’t been able to get over the hump and win a World Series.
The Phillies have been linked to multiple notable free agents this offseason. The organization has also been at the center of trade talks regarding outside options and their own players.
One of the top free agent starting pitchers, Blake Snell, signed a five-year, $182 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday. Atlanta Braves free agent pitcher Max Fried remains the next best left-handed starter available. With limited impact southpaws available, a trade target to which the Phillies have been linked numerous times might be even more expensive.
Blake Snell’s early signing could make a Garrett Crochet trade even more expensive for Phillies
The Phillies have been linked to Chicago White Sox left-handed starter Garrett Crochet since the mid-season trade deadline. Crochet remained with the White Sox largely because of their high asking price, but his name is once again at the center of trade talks.
The White Sox's price for the 25-year-old is high, and reasonably so. There are rumors that the Phillies are discussing trading All-Star third baseman Alec Bohm and top outfield prospect Justin Crawford for Crochet, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today. That price might go up after Snell’s early signing with the Dodgers.
The Phillies’ elite starting rotation would significantly upgrade if they could swing a trade for Crochet. A rotation of Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sánchez, Ranger Suárez and Crochet would have the potential to be one of the best groups ever assembled. Not to mention top prospect Andrew Painter is knocking on the door of the big leagues.
Snell’s early signing didn’t help the Phillies in a potential Crochet deal. Once Fried signs somewhere, Crochet’s price tag will skyrocket. At this point, he might be too expensive for the Phillies to go all in on.
Crochet was the 11th overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft. He made his major league debut that same year with the White Sox, pitching in five games out of the bullpen. Crochet remained in the bullpen in 2021, posting a 2.82 ERA with 14 holds and 65 strikeouts in 54 1/3 innings.
Crochet missed the entire 2022 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. The lefty returned in 2023 but dealt with shoulder inflammation for most of the year. He pitched just 12 2/3 innings, all out of the bullpen.
The White Sox decided to insert Crochet into their starting rotation in 2024. The move paid off with the young lefty making the first All-Star appearance of his career and being among the game’s best starting pitchers.
Crochet owned a 6-12 record on a bad White Sox team with a 3.58 ERA and 1.07 WHIP in 146 innings. He had 209 strikeouts, the sixth most in the majors. Opponents hit just .222 against him. Crochet is a dominant strikeout pitcher who doesn’t allow many walks.