It’s not uncommon for the Chicago Cubs and White Sox to make trades, but could the teams combine for a blockbuster deal involving Garrett Crochet?
According to Jon Morosi of MLB Network, this possibility exists, and the Cubs could work hard to get a deal done.
. @MLB commercial market update:
The Cubs and Reds are among viable candidates to acquire White Sox ace Garrett Crochet.
It’s worth noting that the Cubs and White Sox have made 4 trades since 2017, starting with the Jose Quintana deal. @MLBNetwork
– Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 4, 2024
“The Cubs and Reds are among viable candidates to acquire White Sox ace Garrett Crochet,” Morosi reported Wednesday.
The Cubs currently have one of the highest-ranked farm systems in baseball and could part ways with several prospects to sweeten the pot for any deal involving the White Sox.
Supporters of both teams are certainly aware of the recent trade history between the clubs. The biggest trade of all took place in 2017 when the Cubs acquired pitcher José Quintana from the White Sox in exchange for four prospects, including Dylan Cease and Eloy Jimenez.
Cease went on to be a Cy Young Award finalist for the White Sox, going 43-35 with a 3.83 ERA in five seasons on the South Side.
The Cubs and White Sox also teamed up in a 2021 trade that brought closer Craig Kimbrel to the South Side in exchange for Codi Heuer and Nick Madrigal.
Since 2000, the Cubs and White Sox have made five trades, including four in the last seven years.
All that being said, it’s unclear how far the Cubs will be willing to go to acquire Hook. They have several rotation pieces in place and they have a handful of young pitchers in their farm system, but Crochet’s stats last season, when he posted a 3.58 ERA and struck out 209 batters in 146 innings of work, would certainly no doubt do so. the best pitcher in this rotation.
There are concerns about Crochet’s durability, as the 146 innings he threw in 2024 were by far the most he has pitched in his career. He also struggled mightily in 13 appearances during the 2023 season, so there are also concerns about his ability to repeat last year’s performance.
Regardless, several other teams would likely be involved in a Batch sweepstakes, including the Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox.
Hook discussions will likely intensify around the winter meetings, which begin Monday in Dallas.
