Garrett Crochet's name has swirled the rumor mill as the July 30 MLB trade deadline closes in. But, according to NY Post's Jon Heyman, his trade market might be clouded by his unexplored ability to finish a full season as a starter.
Contrary to the White Sox's plan, Crochet wants to remain a full-time starter through the rest of their season. And if the White Sox were to trade him by next week, Crochet and his agency would look for a contract extension for him to pitch in October.
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Crochet is entering uncharted territory as he continues his first full season as a starter with the White Sox. Having pitched through 111.1 innings this season, Crochet has already pitched more than double the highest number of single-season innings he's pitched in his career so far (54.1).
The White Sox are weary of his health, trying to manage his workload through the rest of the season. They gave him an 11-day rest period through the All-Star break. When he returned, he pitched just four innings and 74 pitches against the Rangers on Tuesday.
There's no blueprint for managing Crochet's workload after exploding this season for a 3.07 ERA, 0.970 WHIP and a league-leading 157 strikeouts. That's what Pedro Grifol talked about with the media before Thursday's game against the Rangers.
"I'm not sold on the fact that you can't run through a whole season after 30 innings last year. I'm not," Grifol said when asked if Crochet will return to a normal workload. "I need more information. But that's just my opinion. We gotta get together as a group, as an organization, and continue to map this thing out.
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"But right now, there are no signs of him slowing down. His velo(city) was 1.5 mph down the other day, but there's a lot that could be attributed to that. He had a long layoff. We'll see how he comes out. But there's no blueprint to him. ... To answer your question, in short, there's a possibility."
Crochet prefers to work through the five-day routine for a starter, as opposed to the everyday, standby routine of a bullpen reliever. He believes his body responds best to that schedule. And the numbers this season back that claim.
"I suppose a lot of people don't realize the differences between being a bullpen and a starter, other than they just see the innings load and think that a bullpen guy can go out there and throw every day since he's only throwing one inning," Crochet told NBC Sports Chicago's Chuck Garfien during spring training. "It's just not the case because the throwing schedule is different. You're kinda trying to keep yourself in tip-top shape every day because you never know when your name's gonna be called.
"But I think the five-day routine would be a lot better suited for me personally."
Some trade suitors, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, want to see Crochet finish the season healthy before investing in his services. Others are willing to make a deal at the trade deadline, but Crochet wants to see a contract extension before possibly moving to a contender.
Crochet is slated to earn $800,000 this season, which is a steal for his ongoing performance. He's under club control for the next two seasons and won't become a free agent until 2027. Teams are aware Crochet prefers to remain a starter versus a high-leverage reliever, but he could be malleable to that contingency if a team places a contract extension in front of him, Heyman reported.
It makes sense for Crochet to request proper financial compensation, in essence, asking a team to ante-up with him for his services before he dives deeper into uncharted territory with his workload. But his request for more money and a longer-term commitment could also scare off teams without a full season to show for his potential.
The uncertainty of Crochet's situation heading into the trade deadline could force GM Chris Getz to call off the sale for the left-hander and wait until the offseason to revisit the market. Rosenthal reported Wednesday, before news of Crochet's workload and contract desires became available, that some industry figures expect the White Sox to hang onto Crochet past the deadline.
"Some in the industry expect the Chicago White Sox to hold left-hander Garrett Crochet, believing that an even greater number of buyers will emerge in the offseason and that his value is greater in his additional two years of club control than in 2024," Rosenthal wrote.
With teams hesitant about his health this season, and with his suitors being primarily contenders, the offseason would free up suitors looking to compete in 2025 to bargain for the left-hander. And barring any unforeseen health issues through the rest of the season, a full, healthy campaign from Crochet would put opposing suitors' minds at ease about his injury concerns.
The move to hold Crochet until the offseason would make sense for Getz, also, considering the White Sox general manager has kept prices high on the team's most valuable arms. That's why it took the White Sox the entire offseason before moving Dylan Cease to the Padres just before the 2024 season began.
By waiting until the offseason, Crochet's value would inarguably rise if he can remain healthy for the rest of the season. And if more suitors appear for Crochet then, the return could improve with more demand. Rosenthal mentioned the Cubs, Blue Jays and Nationals as possible suitors this offseason for Crochet.