Say the Boston Red Sox settled on Chicago White Sox ace Garrett Crochet as their primary trade target this winter. What would it cost to acquire him?
Crochet is a logical target for several reasons. He’s 25, has had relatively few innings pitched compared to other top starters, and his stuff is absolutely electric when it’s on. He was a first-time All-Star in 2024, striking out 209 batters in 146 innings of work with a 3.58 ERA and 2.69 FIP.
However, 2024 was also the first season Crochet ever started a big-league game, and he showed signs of wear and tear as the season went along. He never threw more than four innings in a start after Jul. 1, largely because the White Sox were the worst regular season team of the modern era, and added more than half a run to his ERA.
Insider Jen McCaffrey touched on the possibility of the Red Sox trading for Crochet on Friday, spelling out what a potential return might look like from Boston’s perspective. And though Crochet comes with some uncertainty, McCaffrey believes the White Sox would demand a king’s ransom.
“I have a hard time seeing the Red Sox parting with any of their top four in Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony, Kyle Teel or Kristian Campbell. At the same time, I’m not sure any of the back end of their top 10, like shortstops Franklin Arias and Yoeilin Cespedes and outfielder Miguel Bleis— would be enough of a package to get Crochet. I think other teams might have better offers,” McCaffrey said.
“I think a Red Sox offer becomes more realistic if a young major leaguer like Jarren Duran, Triston Casas, Wilyer Abreu or even Kutter Crawford is added to that mix. It should also be noted that there was plenty of trade speculation around Crochet at the trade deadline but that cooled when he said he wouldn’t pitch in the postseason for any team he was traded to unless he was offered a contract extension.”
To summarize, it seems as though McCaffrey believes the only way to add Crochet to the Red Sox’s roster is to lose a crucial piece of the 2024 roster. Duran or Abreu seem like the most logical candidates, given that they’re both outfielders, and top prospect Anthony is on the way.
Crawford is an interesting name to throw into trade speculation, because one would assume the Red Sox, who are short on starting pitching, would hang on tightly to one of their few quality starters. Crawford may have led the majors in home runs allowed this season, but he also showed flashes of dominance when he was commanding the strike zone.
No matter who they might include, it’s clear that a trade for Crochet would represent a big risk for the Red Sox, given his short track record as a quality big-league starter. But if Boston could unlock the first-half version of Crochet all year long, it could be a trade that pays massive dividends, even championship ones.
