Dodgers Trade Proposal Sends Garrett Crochet to L.A. In 5-Player Swap

As MLB neared the July 30 trade deadline, Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Garrett Crochet was among the most popular names in the rumor mill. He didn’t get dealt, so any interested teams must now wait until the offseason to pursue him. Will the Los Angeles Dodgers reignite their efforts to acquire the southpaw?

The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported L.A. was among those who made an offer for Crochet before the deadline. Even though nothing came to fruition, it’s not outrageous to think president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman might try to re-start talks this winter.

With that in mind, here’s a potential trade package that might convince White Sox general manager Chris Getz to pull the trigger on a deal:

• Dodgers receive: starting pitcher Garrett Crochet
• White Sox receive: catcher/outfielder Dalton Rushing, outfielder Zyhir Hope, right-handed pitcher Jackson Ferris and left-handed pitcher Justin Wrobleski

This would give Chicago four of the Dodgers’ top 11 prospects and a pitcher who could contribute to the 2025 rotation (Wrobleski). That’s similar to the haul they received after trading Dylan Cease to the San Diego Padres. Crochet has posted a 6-9 record with a 3.61 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 176 strikeouts in 124.2 innings this season. He’s making just $800,000 in 2024 and is under team control through 2026, per Spotrac.

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There’s Still Plenty of Trade Interest in Garrett Crochet

Despite not getting dealt, Crochet will still be in demand this winter. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale said as much in an August 18 report.

“Chicago White Sox ace Garrett Crochet, who had struggled since the All-Star break (0-3, 8.78 ERA) until his last start Friday, is attracting plenty of interest from teams who are scouting him for a potential trade this winter,” he said. “Crochet put on a show Friday, striking out nine batters in four innings, throwing 43 of his 55 pitches for strikes. The White Sox still intend to trade Crochet in the offseason, and hope to also move center fielder Luis Robert Jr., who hit two homers on Friday after being in a 5-for-46 skid.”

A big hurdle toward something getting done before the deadline was the southpaw’s added demands. He wanted a contract extension to pitch in the 2024 postseason and didn’t want to pitch out of the bullpen.

Crochet debuted with Chicago in 2020. Between 2020 and 2023, he didn’t throw more than 54.1 innings in a season. Injuries also limited him to just 12.2 total innings between 2022 and 2023. His current salary is just over the league minimum. So, it seems he wanted some financial security to keep blowing past his single-season career-high mark in innings.

His desire for an extension surely won’t go away. However, he won’t have the same leverage during the offseason as he did before the trade deadline. That doesn’t mean the hurler and his representation won’t still push for that, though.

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The Dodgers Were Among the Midseason Finalists to Acquire Crochet

Even with Crochet’s demands, the Dodgers were among the teams seriously pursuing him in July.

“In the final 24 hours [before the trade deadline], both the Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies made offers for Crochet that the Chicago White Sox considered attractive, according to sources briefed on the discussions,” Rosenthal reported on August 16. “And in the final hour, the Dodgers were still talking to the White Sox about a possible deal.”

Rosenthal also mentioned that Rushing wasn’t included in the Dodgers’ offer. Top pitching prospect River Ryan was, but he recently underwent Tommy John surgery. Since this pursuit didn’t work out, the Dodgers pivoted to acquire Jack Flaherty from the Detroit Tigers.

Assuming he doesn’t sign a contract extension this offseason, any team that acquires Crochet could be paying pennies on the dollar based on his 2024 production. The Athletic’s Tim Britton projected his arbitration earnings over the next two seasons could land somewhere between $10 and $15 million.

Those are numbers every MLB team could handle. But if he still insists on getting an extension, the Dodgers have the mixture of available prospects and financial might to get something done.

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