Chicago White Sox left-handed starter Garrett Crochet has been on the Philadelphia Phillies' radar for months now, going back as far as the trade deadline. Crochet has the attention of the Phillies, and rightfully so, after a dazzling 2024 season.
Crochet had a break-out All-Star season in 2024 with a 3.58 ERA in 32 games. He also had 209 strikeouts in only 146 innings of work. He was the ace of the staff in a historically tragic season in which the White Sox finished 41-121. He may command the biggest haul on the trade market, and teams are taking note, per MLB.com. The Phillies aren't shy about trying to deal for him but struck out on their first attempt to reel him in.
The Phillies are looking to add talent this offseason and Soto signing with the division rival Mets is the latest example of needed motivation. They will have to put their best foot forward and continue to deal in order to keep the championship window open in a loaded National League.
Phillies' first offer for Garrett Crochet wasn't good enough for the White Sox
The Winter Meetings are here and are a great time to hash out a deal for a player of Crochet's caliber. He is only 25 years old and has two years of team control remaining with his 2025 salary estimated at $2.9 million, per Spotrac.
"The White Sox have had serious talks with the Philadelphia Phillies, but rejected the concept of Alec Bohm and outfielder Justin Crawford," per Bob Nightengale of USA Today. The White Sox may like Crawford, but Bohm's struggles in the second half of 2024 have scared them from pulling the trigger. It now looks like to bring in Crochet, the Phillies will have to get a little more creative.
They could counter with another piece in the deal in addition to Bohm and Crawford. Phillies fans' stomachs will turn if a trade included No. 1 prospect Aidan Miller or No. 2 prospect Andrew Painter, but Chicago may only budge if those names are included. The Phillies have replenished their farm system in recent years so it's still possible to retain Miller and Painter while still trading for front-line starting pitching.
If president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski wants a player bad enough, it's generally believed that he'll go out and get them. The combination of Zack Wheeler, Crochet, Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sánchez and Ranger Suárez could best any other pitching staff in MLB and be an enticing enough idea for the Phillies to make the splash needed to bring him in.
Being told no on the first offer isn't a great feeling, but what it does do is give the Phillies the ability to reassess and come back with a better offer to bring in the player they have been linked to since he was first put on the trade block.