Garrett Crochet
Garrett Crochet was one of the top starting pitchers available on the market at the trade deadline. Why wouldn’t he be? After all, he had compiled a stellar 3.02 ERA and 0.95 WHIP, along with an astonishing 150 strikeouts in just 107 1/3 innings of work over 20 starts.
Although the Phillies didn’t necessarily have starting pitching as their top priority at the deadline, given the run of injuries to their starters, along with Taijuan Walker's inconsistency, getting a top-notch performer to solidify their rotation wouldn’t have been a bad idea.
However, there was one caveat in that Crochet had never logged more than 54 1/3 innings in any season prior to 2024. Having hit the 100-inning threshold already just halfway through the year, some wondered if fatigue would start settling in for the lefty and whether his effectiveness would hold up for the rest of the season.
That speculation has now been answered. In his four starts since the All-Star break, Crochet is 0-3 with an 8.78 ERA, a 2.03 WHIP and a .328 opponent batting average. He has given up 13 earned runs, including six home runs, with 17 strikeouts in 13 1/3 innings. This includes his worst outing of the season in his last start against the Chicago Cubs when he couldn’t even get out of the third inning after yielding seven earned runs.
With Crochet having two more years of control following the 2024 season and his impressive first-half All-Star performance, he would have come with a high price tag. But with the Phillies believing in their internal options by staying away from Crochet, it's turning out to be a wise move in retrospect.