Winter trade talks could soon heat up across Major League Baseball, and the Boston Red Sox could be right in the thick of the biggest negotiations.
It’s widely known that the Red Sox are looking for a number-one starting pitcher and trying to spend big. Free agency is, of course, the most direct route to finding that starter, but given the high price tags of starting pitchers this winter, a trade may prove to be the most efficient route.
Right now, there’s one trade candidate who stands above the rest, both in terms of talent and availability. That’s Garrett Crochet of the Chicago White Sox, the 25-year-old lefty fireballer who struck out 209 batters in just 146 innings pitched this past season.
The Red Sox have already made one big trade for a White Sox lefty, acquiring Chris Sale before the 2017 season. Could history repeat itself?
Insider Bob Nightengale of USA Today named the Red Sox among the teams that were involved in the Crochet sweepstakes on Sunday:
“The White Sox have had serious talks with the Philadelphia Phillies, but rejected the concept of Alec Bohm and outfielder Justin Crawford. The San Diego Padres would love him, and have dealt plenty of prospects in the past, but told the White Sox they are hanging onto catcher Ethan Salas and shortstop Leodalis De Vries,” Nightengale said.
“The Red Sox lurk. In the end, the White Sox will trade him to the team that gives them the most prized prospects, and hope they never again experience anything like their embarrassing 41-121 season.”
Since Nightengale didn’t mention any specific players the Red Sox had put on the table, one can infer that Boston hasn’t progressed as far in trade talks as those other two teams have. However, that could be a positive sign if both the Phillies and Padres are already locked in a stalemate.
Ultimately, Crochet is a worthwhile prize, but the White Sox still appear to be asking for the moon from whoever rings their phone. If and when that price tag starts to drop, we should soon see how serious the Red Sox’s Crochet pursuit is.
