5 teams that need to pony up and trade for Garrett Crochet this winter

The Chicago White Sox are coming off of literally the worst single season in MLB history. That's a tough one to recover from. The reputation of that franchise is forever tarnished, barring a change in ownership or a long-overdue commitment to, I don't know, fielding a watchable team.

There is a real chance Chicago takes a step back before taking a step forward, shedding payroll and stockpiling prospects instead of chasing immediate contributors. That puts several of the roster's veterans on the chopping block, including 25-year-old ace Garrett Crochet. The All-Star was floated to prospective buyers around the trade deadline this past season, but a public declaration that he wouldn't pitch in October without a new contract killed those talks.

Expect teams to come back around with serious interest in the weeks and months to come. Around the trade deadline, there was concern about Crochet's durability in the wake of several nagging injuries. Well, he finished the campaign strong and was often the sole bright spot for a decrepit roster. The hard-throwing lefty made 32 starts, posting a 3.58 ERA and 1.07 WHIP with a whopping 209 strikeouts in 146 innings. The numbers speak loudly.

Crochet would look awfully good in a number of contending rotations, and he's probably worth the subsequent extension at the front end of his prime. According to ESPN's Buster Olney, it is a "slam dunk" that Crochet will get dealt. And, per his fellow insider Jeff Passan, teams understand that a new contract comes part and parcel with a trade.

The following teams should be willing to not only trade for Crochet, but to pay him his worth and lock up a prized ace for the foreseeable future.

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5. Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox are a team on Olney's radar in the Crochet sweepstakes. Boston has already been connected to Jack Flaherty and other available aces this winter. With Lucas Giolito returning from injury, Tanner Houck ascending to All-Star heights and Brayan Bello still very much on the come up, the Red Sox are starting to cook with gas. This team is within striking distance of a meaningful leap in the crowded AL East.

One would be hard-pressed to find a more reliable pathway to contention than an elite pitching staff. Crochet can provide top-shelf ace value at his peak, thwarting hitters with blistering velocity and a bamboozling slider. Giolito, Houck, Bello and pretty much all of Boston's current starting options are right-handed pitchers, so getting a productive lefty in the mix would to help to balance the rotation.

The Red Sox still need to invest resources in the offense, but adding Crochet and getting him locked up on a potentially favorable extension is just good business. He won't sign for nothing, but odds are that Crochet's complex injury history depresses the final dollar value on his next contract. That re-injury risk is very real, but it could lead to a tremendous value if Crochet stays healthy and builds on his success in 2024.

4. Philadelphia Phillies

Do the Philadelphia Phillies need Garrett Crochet the way others on this list might? No, not really. But we've seen Philadelphia connected to Crochet on numerous occasions and we know John Middleton is willing to stretch the luxury tax for the right pieces. Adding Crochet to the Phillies' already-strong rotation would help insulate them against MLB's most boom-or-bust offense.

That would essentially leave four 2024 All-Stars and Aaron Nola in the Phillies rotation, all locked up for several years to come (with the exception of Ranger Suarez, who is due for his own extension eventually). The Phillies would replace Taijuan Walker and then some, with Andrew Painter percolating in the farm system and a sustainable succession plan in place for when Zack Wheeler eventually starts to decline.

The Phillies need to focus more on offense and the bullpen, but Crochet is an awesome talent and he would elevate Philadelphia's starting rotation to comical levels. If he's on the table for a reasonable price, we know Dave Dombrowski loves to hunt big game. This certainly qualifies.

Just imagine suffering the Wheeler-Nola masterclass in a postseason series, only to run up against Crochet's nasty stuff in do-or-die Game 3. A man can dream, can't he?

3. New York Mets

Also connected to Crochet in Olney's report, the New York Mets are an obvious landing spot. New York has the big-money backing to extend the 25-year-old and a large chunk of that rotation is about to hit free agency. With the futures of Sean Manaea, Luis Severino and Jose Quintana unsettled, the Mets could seize the opportunity to add genuine All-Star equity behind Kodai Senga.

Crochet would presumably join a long list of potential Mets pitching targets, including Corbin Burnes, Max Fried and others. There's a good chance that New York remakes its rotation with some of the league's most dynamic arms — especially if Juan Soto and his $600 million-plus contract end up on somebody else's books. The Mets made it to the NLCS and are sure to capitalize on the positive momentum. Steve Cohen's pockets are deeper than the Mariana Trench and Crochet, for reasons stated above, should end up on a relatively reasonable second contract.

The Mets would love to add Soto or another all-world bat, but really, that offense was up to par in the postseason. What New York lacks is true ace-level dependability on the pitching staff, especially when injuries strike. Crochet won't come cheap in terms of outgoing prospects, but the Mets are due for a run of win-now moves in the weeks and months to come. As a piece of a much larger puzzle, Crochet could work wonders in Queens.

2. Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves could lose Max Fried and Charlie Morton this winter, leaving the rotation in a compromised state. Spencer Strider's looming return helps, especially with soon-to-be Cy Young Chris Sale and 2024 All-Star Reynaldo Lopez still in the mix. That said, both Sale and Lopez are prone to injuries and are coming off of atypically healthy campaigns. Strider, meanwhile, is returning from elbow surgery, which can lead to some funky immediate outcomes.

The Braves would ideally re-sign Fried and add another high-leverage arm, but the former is far from a guarantee. One obvious solution would be to trade for Crochet: This feels very much like an Alex Anthopoulos special, prying a talented young ace out of a dire situation and extending him to a team-friendly deal that ages like a fine wine.

Crochet's blistering heat would play well behind Strider and Sale atop the rotation. The Braves would stack up quite well with Philadelphia and New York in a competitive division — plus, this trade presumably keeps Crochet away from those teams. There are layers to this concept, and it all looks favorable on the surface.

Brimming with pitching prospects to trade and driven by a clear mandate to contend after last season's letdown, the Braves are a Crochet destination we should probably talk about more.

1. Los Angeles Dodgers

Yes, we do have to mention the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Los Angeles made the very annoying decision to win the World Series with its pitching staff operating at half strength. Tyler Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw, Bobby Miller and Shohei Ohtani were all out of commission for pitching purposes this October, and yet, the Dodgers found ways to completely shut down some of the league's most explosive offenses. Scary hours.

L.A. would be wise to add another bankable arm if possible. And folks, with the Dodgers' high-spending attitude, it's possible. That team is raking in cash with Ohtani on the roster and that won't change after a celebrated World Series run. Trading for Crochet and lining up his next contract won't be a problem.

Japanese upstart Roki Sasaki has been a popular name tied to Los Angeles, but if he isn't posted for free agency this winter, Crochet is a logical pivot. He gives the Dodgers youth and potential longevity, operating on the same timeline age-wise as Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Crochet won't get the same 12-year investment, but he could be a face of the Dodgers rotation for many years and many World Series runs to come.