Massive Garrett Crochet update could end trade talk once and for all

The trade deadline is now five days away. Contending will soon be putting the finishing touches on their rosters for the 2024 season, while those out of contention will be selling off assets to build for the future. One team that already has its eyes on the future is the Chicago White Sox, and their biggest trade asset as the deadline nears is left-hander Garrett Crochet.

The 25-year-old left-hander is going to cost a lot. The White Sox are expecting a haul in return for him from whichever team they trade him to. But a recent update from Jon Heyman might have put a damper on any trade talks for Crochet.

White Sox just hurt chance at trading Garrett Crochet

As of now, it appears that Crochet is planning to pitch a normal starter's workload for the rest of the regular season and that he doesn't want to move to the bullpen. However, him needing a contract extension just to pitch in October could be a turnoff for interested teams.

Teams in the mix are going to need their top-level starters in the postseason, as starting pitching is typically the foundation of playoff teams. But if he won't pitch unless he's given a contract extension, that may turn some suitors off and give them bad vibes about him.

The last thing a team in the playoffs needs is for somebody to only want to pitch in the postseason under certain circumstances. As a result, this may ultimately force the White Sox to hang onto him rather than trade him to a contender.

It's important to keep in mind that Crochet is not very far removed from Tommy John surgery, and there are legitimate health concerns. But with the way he's pitched this season, the playoffs are going to be when teams need him the most, and if he doesn't want to pitch, that creates some serious problems and could negatively affect his market.

This is something that teams may not want to deal with, and it's understandable as to why. What's the use in selling the farm system for somebody that won't pitch in October unless certain demands are met? Crochet also sounds very confident in his health, which is a legitimate concern for any team that may target him at the deadline this year.

What an extension would look like for Crochet is unclear at the moment. There may be a team willing to sell the farm in order to trade for him and on top of that, offer him a massive extension. But his apparent refusal to pitch in October without an extension certainly isn't a good look.