With the MLB Winter Meetings set to begin on Monday, a pair of coveted free agents bats came off the board in rapid succession on Saturday with shortstop Willy Adames signing a seven-year, $182 million deal with the San Francisco Giants, and power hitting corner outfielder Tyler O'Neill inking a three-year, $49.5 million pact with the Baltimore Orioles. Adames and O'Neil were both rumored to be targets of the Philadelphia Phillies at the outset of the offseason, but with yesterday's signings now official, the market for impact bats just became a little thinner.
As the entire sports media world was hitting the refresh button on repeat Saturday with news that the Juan Soto sweepstakes could be winding down, it's easy to forget that the slower moving MLB trade market has yet to deliver on it's early offseason hype. But that could change as early as next week with the Chicago White Sox previously stating a desire to get a trade completed for left-handed starting pitcher Garrett Crochet before the end of the Winter Meetings. That deadline is subject to change of course, and there’s no guarantee that a deal will take place as Chicago seems willing to wait for the deal they want in an effort to extract the highest returns possible in exchange for Crochet.
The Phillies are one of many teams rumored to be connected in trade discussions with the White Sox regarding Crochet this offseason, joining fellow contenders like the Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, and the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. But MLB trades have been known to change in shape and scale with little warning, and that could be the case yet again with recent reports that two late-arriving teams have entered into trade talks with the White Sox in an effort to land Crochet at the Winter Meetings.
Cubs and Reds jumping into Garrett Crochet trade market as 'viable' competitors to Phillies
MLB.com baseball insider Jon Morosi was first to report via social media that the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds are now considered "viable candidates" in the pursuit of Crochet this offseason. The addition of the Cubs and Reds to the list of suitors for the All-Star southpaw adds to a crowded field that has previously connected the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, and Los Angeles Dodgers as potential landing spots.
The added competition for Crochet presents new problems for teams like the Phillies who have shown interest in prying the 25-year-old ace away from the White Sox in a deal this offseason. With two years of arbitration remaining, the cost to acquire Crochet was already sky high from the first time White Sox general manager Chris Getz confirmed rumors that Crochet was available via trade this winter, telling reporters in early November that his team is "focusing on position-player return,”in a deal for Crochet in order to add offense to a dreadful White Sox team that set a new MLB record for losses in a season after dropping 121 games in 2024.
Sure the Phillies have reportedly made young position players like Alec Bohm, Brandon Marsh, and Bryson Stott available for trade this winter, but recent reports have suggested that the Phillies are far "less inclined" to deal Marsh, and the team has little desire to move Stott. Bohm has remained a popular presence on the trade market all offseason, with a previous trade involving the All-Star third baseman recently abandoned between the Phillies and Mariners that centered around the Phillies acquiring one of the Mariners young aces, Logan Gilbert or George Kirby, straight up for Bohm via trade. And with no recent news indicating the teams have renewed talks, this deal appears to be dead in the water.
The failed trade talks between the Phillies and Mariners provided fans with a sobering reality check that Bohm would just be the starting point in a deal with the White Sox for Crochet. The Phillies will also have to be willing to part with top prospects like outfielder Justin Crawford or infielder Aidan Miller, in addition to including other prized prospects such as promising Single-A shortstop Starlyn Caba, and all told, that's a steep price to pay.
If some combination of the players above represent the starting point for a potential trade with the White Sox, there are other teams with deeper farm systems than the Phillies who won't hesitate to swing a deal if there's a willingness to trade from its own big league roster. One of those teams is the Boston Red Sox, especially after Chris Cotillo of Mass Live reported that Boston was willing to deal young power-hitting first baseman Triston Casas in exchange for top of the rotation starting pitching. Couple that with a farm system bursting at the seams with talented position players, this is the type of deal a team like the Red Sox could pivot to if they fail to land Juan Soto in free agency.
If the Dodgers have proven anything over the last two offseasons, they'll do whatever possible to get the player they ultimately want. But how aggressive will the Dodgers actually be in acquiring Crochet is anyone's guess after the club signed two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell to a five-year, $182 million contract last week. And you can never rule out teams like the Yankees, Braves or Orioles, especially if top free agent starters like Corbin Burnes or Roki Sasaki choose to sign elsewhere. Unless the White Sox have relaxed their stance on getting a Crochet trade completed by the end of the Winter Meetings, the Phillies will soon have to decide whether to meet Chicago's lofty asking price, or move on to pursuing the best arms available on the free-agent pitching market.