The Phillies failed to acquire a starting pitcher at this year’s trade deadline for the first time since Dave Dombrowski took over as president of baseball operations. That is not to say that the seasoned CEO did not try to get one, according to a story released Friday morning.
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Philadelphia was one of two clubs that made an offer for left-hander Garrett Crochet that the Chicago White Sox “considered attractive” on the last day before the July 30 deadline. The Los Angeles Dodgers were also interested in signing the 25-year-old All-Star pitcher.
Ultimately, the White Sox decided not to trade Crochet, who reportedly would not pitch in the postseason for a new team unless he received a contract extension. Despite this, the Phillies and Dodgers continued their efforts to acquire him, according to Rosenthal. Philadelphia did not make their injured top pitching prospect, Andrew Painter, available in talks. The Dodgers, who kept negotiating with the White Sox until the final moments before the deadline, did not include catcher Dalton Rushing in their offer. However, Los Angeles did propose right-hander River Ryan, who will now need Tommy John surgery.
Crochet is having a standout season in Chicago as a starter for the first time. The hard-throwing left-hander has a 3.65 ERA over 24 starts, with 167 strikeouts in 120 2/3 innings. Previously used as a reliever to manage his workload, Crochet made his MLB debut in 2020 just months after being drafted in the first round. He missed the entire 2022 season due to Tommy John surgery, making this his first full season since the injury, and he has excelled in his expanded role.
Crochet has expressed a desire to continue as a starter and believes he can maintain his arm health with a starter’s routine. His experience in both starting and relieving roles could have been valuable in the playoffs. The Phillies have used starters in relief in recent postseasons—Noah Syndergaard in 2022 and Michael Lorenzen in 2023—and although Crochet is performing at a higher level than these pitchers, it’s easy to see how the Phillies could adapt their strategy to leverage his skills while managing his innings.
Even though the Phillies did not acquire Crochet this season, the fact that the White Sox showed interest in their offers might be a positive sign for a potential trade between the two teams in the upcoming offseason. With Crochet under team control for two more years, other teams will also be interested, but the Phillies’ pursuit could resume this winter.
Leave a Reply