Report: Cubs viewed as "viable candiate" to land ace pitcher |
Well, there is something you didn't expect to see, and even if it's not true, it's nice to see them being linked to one of the best pitchers on the trade front. Unless you live under a rock, everyone knows that the Chicago White Sox are in the business of moving pieces as long as the price is right.
You started to see that last season when they moved on from Eloy Jimenez and Michael Kopech, but that was just the beginning, as Luis Robert and Garrett Crochet were also major deadline targets. Despite both of those players remaining with the team through the duration of the season, their names still remain at the top of the trade conversations, and it's Crochet whose market seems to be picking up the most steam. As surprising as this may sound for various reasons, Jon Morosi dropped a big bomb early Wednesday morning when he stated that the Cubs are among the viable options to acquire Crochet, given their assets and history together when it comes to making trades. After all, these teams have made four trades since the Dylan Cease and Jose Quintana deal in 2017, and for the most part, the trades have worked in the White Soxs favor. That alone might be enough to caution the Cubs from doing another deal, but guys like Crochet don't come around too often, so if a trade can get done, the Cubs need to pounce on the opportunity. Crochet was the ace of the Sox last season, and for the most part, he was the lone bright spot for the team. The hard-throwing Lefty can touch 100 MPH with his heater, and mixes is one of the best breaking balls in the game to make him one of the more dominant starters. Everyone knows the whole story about the innings limit last season, and for the most part, Crochet wasn't happy about it. Record aside, had he been allowed to pitch more and ignore the innings limit, there is a great chance that he would've ranked even higher in the overall pitching stats. Looking at what Crochet brings to the table, you can see why the Cubs would want him. He is not only a young pitcher but also a young lefty, which the Cubs have been targeting a lot the past two offseasons. Crochet is also a hard thrower, which the rotation lacks, and he has plenty of team control left, making him much cheaper than going out and signing a high-priced free agent. This seems like a match made in heaven for both sides, but would the Sox be willing to part ways with him, especially if it were to send him to their cross-town rival? With the White Sox in full-blown rebuild mode and the Cubs possession the most top-100 prospects in baseball, Chris Getz is going to give a move like this serious consideration as he knows the value Crochet brings to the table. That ultimately could be the biggest hangup when it comes to making a deal like this, as the value of Crochet is so high that it may be too high for the Cubs or anyone to match. Everyone understands that you must give up talent to get talent, but that must come within reason. Everyone expects the White Sox to ask for a king's ransom should the deal Crochet go through, and no one will argue that they shouldn't ask for that. However, you still need to be realistic about what you're asking for. No one will give up five top-100 caliber players for one guy, as the rumored reports have shown. If the Cubs can get three prospects, that is a different question, so look for plenty of counteroffers. At 25 years old, Crochet suffered some injuries early in his career, but those days appear to be behind him as of now. From a results perspective, Crochet made 32 starts but only pitched 146 innings due to his innings limit. In those innings, he posted a 3.58 ERA, which is well above the league average. Along with keeping his team in games, you have the overpowering side of things as Crochet downright dominated most teams he faced. His 35.1% K and 5.5% BB were not only elite, but they were also the best in baseball, and for those into statistics, they weren't even close. He is the definition of an ace and is something the Cubs haven't had since the Jake Arrieta days of 2015.
