3 Garrett Crochet backup plans if Phillies whiff on ideal Taijuan Walker replacement

The Philadelphia Phillies plan to operate aggressively in pursuit of upgrades this winter after another disappointing postseason exit. There is a lot of focus on boosting the offense — particularly in the outfield following the botched Austin Hays experiment — but the Phillies also need help on the mound.

One could credibly argue that Philadelphia has the best starting rotation in baseball. Zack Wheeler is quite possibly the league's best pitcher, point blank, while Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sanchez and Ranger Suarez all have All-Star pedigrees. The bullpen ranked near the top of the NL last season, too, although the looming free agency of Carlos Estevez and Jeff Hoffman raises questions about how it might look in 2025.

If there was a discernible weakness in the Phillies' pitching armor last season, it was that pesky fifth slot in the starting rotation, which belonged primarily to Taijuan Walker and a rotating cast of injury replacements. Walker made 15 starts for Philadelphia, posting a ghastly 7.10 ERA and 1.72 WHIP. He couldn't miss a bat to save his life.

Spencer Turnbull turned in a few solid starts and the Phillies could, in theory, promote top prospect Andrew Painter, but it's hard to imagine either option carrying much water in 2025. The best path is a straight replacement, with Chicago White Sox ace Garrett Crochet profiling as arguably the best realistic option for Dave Dombrowski and the front office.

Crochet dominated last season on a bad Chicago White Sox team, posting a 3.58 ERA and 1.07 WHIP across 32 starts and netting 209 strikeouts. The hard-throwing lefty would become an instant favorite in Philadelphia, but unfortunately Matt Gelb of The Athletic is skeptical of a deal crossing the finish line.

"[The Phillies] have monitored a potential Garrett Crochet trade, although major-league sources indicated the Phillies and White Sox were a better fit in July than now," he writes. "Talks were serious then. Chicago might find a better prospect package from another club this offseason."

If Philadelphia can't get back into Crochet negotiations, here are a few intriguing backup plans.

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3. Roki Sasaki is the most valuable pitcher available this winter — and he comes at a discount

The most prized free agent after Juan Soto might be 23-year-old Japanese ace Roki Sasaki, who enters the MLB free agent pool to tremendous acclaim. Some view him as the best pitching prospect in all of baseball, but his youth and lack of experience will force him to sign as a prospect — which means no mega-deal a la Yoshinobu Yamamoto last winter. The most Sasaki can get is around $7 million annually, which is comically slight for such a major talent.

He isn't concern-free — Sasaki has dealt with elbow issues and could operate under a pitch count in 2025 — but in terms of affordability, immediate impact and long-term upside, there just isn't a better option for Philadelphia. We know the Phillies want to increase their presence in Japan and the Asian marketplace, as evidenced by their aggressive pursuit of Yamamoto last offseason. The Phillies won't be able to capture Sasaki's heart with a paycheck, but Philadelphia's track record of pitcher development and strong contending DNA ought to appeal to him.

Sasaki would be well-insulated in a rotation with four All-Stars, not to mention a bullpen that Dombrowski should be able to adequately rebuild. Equipped with a high-90s fastball and a drop-dead splitter, Sasaki has the stuff to transform Philly's rotation upon arrival. He's a special, special talent, and he won't break the bank for a while. Factor in his longevity against the increasing age of Wheeler and Nola, and it gives the Phillies an important long-term building block.

2. Max Scherzer could thrive with Phillies on a one-year deal

Look, we'd all love for the Phillies to sign Corbin Burnes or Max Fried, but operating more in the realm of plausibility, Scherzer is an intriguing free agent candidate. He comes with obvious injury concerns at 40 years old, but Scherzer was an All-Star as recently as 2021. He helped Texas to the World Series in 2023 and he's still capable of reaching impressive heights when operating at full strength.

Scherzer only managed nine starts in 2024, finishing with a 3.95 ERA and 1.15 WHIP across 43.1 innings. Those numbers won't inspire the Phillies fandom, but Scherzer is a three-time Cy Young winner with a ton of high-level postseason experience. The resume speaks for itself, and Scherzer's leadership could prove beneficial for the staff at large, and especially for the younger pitchers starting to come into the big-league picture for Philadelphia.

We can only take so much from Scherzer's limited run this past season, but he finished in the 81st percentile for strikeout rate in 2023, on the eve of his 40th birthday. There isn't really an "old man" quality to Scherzer's arsenal. He can still miss bats and keep hitters in a state of confusion. He isn't the elite Cy Young candidate of yesteryear perhaps, but Scherzer can definitely function as a well-above-average fifth starter in the NL's most talented rotation.

1. Logan Gilbert is the Phillies' dream Alec Bohm trade candidate

This is pie in the sky, perhaps, but the Phillies reportedly requested either George Kirby or Logan Gilbert in exchange for Alec Bohm when discussing a potential trade with the Seattle Mariners. That report comes from Adam Jude of the Seattle Times, and it points to how badly Dombrowski wants to upgrade this already-elite pitching staff.

It's exceedingly unlikely for Seattle to part with either of its top aces for Bohm straight up. The Mariners need to start boosting their offense, but Bohm's second-half struggles in 2024 tanked his value. He's an All-Star, an extra-base machine at his best, but consistency is a concern. Seattle, meanwhile, has the best five-man rotation in the American League and won't break it up for less than outright excellence.

That is all fair. But what if the Phillies start attaching prospects to Bohm and bidding up? At a certain point, the offense-needy Mariners need to take it under consideration. The Mariners are in a unique position; Seattle can afford to lose its top starter without tanking its entire rotation. Gilbert would give the Phillies multiple years of team control over a bonafide 27-year-old ace. The righty finished last season with a 3.23 ERA and 0.89 WHIP across 33 starts and 208.2 innings.

If the Phillies can transform Bohm plus prospects into a legitimate workhorse starter like Gilbert — one with a good chance to earn second billing behind Wheeler in the playoffs — that is a no-brainer. Again, it doesn't seem likely, but we know the Phillies are at least poking around the top of Seattle's rotation. It's worth pondering for a moment what it might look like.