Chicago White Sox If all goes well, ace Garrett Crochet should be traded this winter. The White Sox are in full rebuilding mode after one of the worst seasons in MLB history. The first step to improving the on-field product is to gut the roster of players who don’t fit the White Sox timeline. Even though he’s only 25 years old, Crochet fits that description.

During the 2024 season, Crochet had a 4.1 WAR and 3.58 ERA in 32 starts. The reason he was not traded at the MLB trade deadline was due to concerns about his workload and Crochet’s postseason availability. Crochet, who was pitching pointless baseball on Chicago’s South Side, didn’t have to worry about that.

But next season should not crochet There is a hard pitching limit, which means the White Sox can get as much value as they want this winter. The left-hander has elite attributes, owning an ERA+ of 115 and striking out an average of 12.9 strikeouts per nine innings, the best mark of his career so far.

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Phillies They had one of the best starting rotations in baseball last season as their core quartet of Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler, Christopher Sanchez and Ranger Suarez was tough to beat. At some point in 2025, they are expected to add veteran prospect Andrew Painter to the mix. The crochet trade isn’t a must for this group, but it could improve a World Series contender that has fallen short of expectations this postseason.

Assuming the Phillies can sign Crochet to an extension, they might be willing to add more potential capital to the deal if the White Sox get a bad contract in return. The Phillies have several of them, including but not limited to Nick Castellanos and Taijuan Walker.

Walker makes a little more sense as of this article. While Castellanos could also be dealt this winter, the White Sox will need someone who can eat Crochet’s innings if they are to trade him to Philadelphia. Walker has two years and $36 million remaining on his contract, but he had a 7.10 ERA last year before being pulled from the Phillies’ rotation.\

Walker was a major free agent after his impressive 2022 season with the New York Mets. The Phillies quickly convinced him to a long-term deal, but the pairing didn’t work either on or off the field.

A fresh start even for the worst team in baseball could be ideal For Walker and the Phillies.