Red Sox viewed as a top candidate to land Garrett Crochet by pair of insiders
Crochet, 25, was one of the top starting pitchers in the American League last season, posting a 3.58 ERA.
White Sox ace Garrett Crochet is arguably the top name set to be on the trade market this offseason. If so, the Red Sox might be well-positioned to land him.
ESPN’s Buster Olney listed the Red Sox as one of the top contenders for Crochet on the most recent episode of the “Baseball Tonight” podcast.
“I think it’s a slam dunk he’s going to be traded, and the two teams I’m watching are the Mets and the Red Sox,” Olney said.
While Olney is keeping his eye on the Red Sox as a possible suitor for Crochet, some around the majors seem to view Boston as a legitimate candidate to land the lefty. A “baseball person with knowledge of the White Sox’ thinking” told MassLive’s Sean McAdam that the Red Sox “are in the thick of things” as it pertains to a possible trade involving Crochet.
“It will come down to (what they’re willing to offer), but from a talent standpoint, they match up well,” the same person reportedly told McAdam. “They didn’t show as much interest (as others) at the trade deadline (last summer), but the interest has increased in the offseason and they’re sending the message: ‘We want to be involved in this, we want to be involved in these talks.’
“I definitely think they’re one of five or so teams that are legitimate, real teams that match up prospect-wise.”
As mentioned, Crochet was made available by the White Sox ahead of the trade deadline in July. However, Crochet threw a wrench into trade talks surrounding him when he said that he wouldn’t pitch in the postseason without an extension in place.
Crochet, 25, is under team control for two more seasons. Fellow ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan noted on the “Baseball Tonight” podcast that teams “know that Crochet will sign an extension.” He also threw out the Phillies as one of the possible candidates for Crochet, recalling that they were one of the three finalists to land him at the deadline although he ultimately wasn’t moved. The Dodgers are also expected to be in the mix for Crochet, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.
If Crochet is willing to sign an extension upon the completion of a trade, it’d be easy to imagine that the White Sox would want more in return. The Red Sox are armed with one of the top farm systems in baseball. Bleacher Report recently ranked their farm system as the third-best in the league while MLB Pipeline placed six Red Sox players on their top 100 prospects list, including four in the top 25.
Top prospect Roman Anthony and another member of the “big four” prospects (Kyle Teel, Marcelo Mayer, Kristian Campbell) are expected to be untouchable in trade talks, according to McAdam.
The Red Sox also have young, controllable talent on the major league roster that could feasibly be moved this offseason as part of a trade for a bigger piece. An evaluator told McAdam that outfielder Wilyer Abreu could be the centerpiece of a trade involving Crochet.
Crochet would help the problem the Red Sox have dealt with at the top of the rotation over the last few seasons. After pitching as a reliever to open his MLB career, Crochet became a full-time starter in 2024. He went 6-12 with a 3.58 ERA, 1.068 WHIP, and 209 strikeouts in 146 innings pitched over 32 starts. His strikeout total ranked fourth in the American League and he would’ve finished in the top five in WHIP had he qualified.
Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow explicitly told The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier that the team is looking at improving the top of their rotation.
“I think we have to,” Breslow said when asked if the team will pursue a top-of-the-rotation pitcher. “We have lofty goals. We know we need to raise the ceiling of the rotation. I think there are a lot of ways to do that, but we’re going to be really, really open-minded.”
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