Before the trade deadline, left-hander Garrett Crochet was reportedly of interest to the Philadelphia Phillies. In the end, nothing materialised a few weeks prior, as the Chicago White Sox ace was not dealt.
For a variety of reasons, it was not shocking that he was not dealt with. First of all, there’s no need for the White Sox to deal him. For the upcoming few seasons, he will remain under team control, giving them access to one of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball at a reasonable cost.
In addition, he stated in remarks made prior to the trade deadline that, in the event that he was sold to a rival team, he would demand payment in advance of his October pitching schedule. That probably put off a lot of teams who were considering hiring him.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, however, claims that the Phillies weren’t among the clubs that were switched off. In the final twenty-four hours before the deadline, he said that two teams had made offers for Crochet, including Philadelphia.
“In the final 24 hours, both the Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies made offers for Crochet that the Chicago White Sox considered attractive, according to sources briefed on the discussions.”
Although the entire deal was kept a secret, he mentioned that right-hander Andrew Painter was passed over.
“He will be managed by the club for the next two seasons. With an expected ERA in the top seven percent of the league and a strikeout rate in the top three percent, he has also turned into an ace in his first season as a starter. However, sources claim that righty Andrew Painter, who had Tommy John surgery in July 2023, was not offered by the Phillies.”
It’s tough to say whether this was the right or wrong decision from the Phillies’ perspective. This is his first year as a full-time starting pitcher, which brings many worries about his potential impact in October.
Dave Dombrowski has never shied away from adding talent, so expect conversations about adding talent to continue even if the Phillies win the World Series. He doesn’t appear to be slowing down, but with a higher workload than ever before, it was a warranted decision from Philadelphia to pass on him for a package they weren’t comfortable moving. Despite the deal not being completed this time around, the Phillies may revisit it in the coming months.
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