It’s July, meaning the trade deadline is drawing near, and White Sox general manager Chris Getz will have to make some decisions regarding his two best players: left-hander Garrett Crochet and center fielder Luis Robert Jr.
The Sox could be active at the deadline and recoup some real value for their two players, especially Crochet.
USA Today reported that Crochet and the Sox couldn’t agree on a contract extension and that the team “intends to trade him by the July 30 trade deadline.”
Crochet’s first season as a starter has gone better than the Sox could have imagined. Entering Monday, Crochet was first in the majors in strikeouts (141), 14th in the AL in ERA (3.02) and had the fifth-highest strikeout-to-walk ratio (7.05). His 101⅓ innings pitched surpass his career total entering this season.
The Sox have started monitoring Crochet’s workload. His availability could be a concern for a team looking to acquire him.
Despite the workload management, Crochet has continued to succeed — going seven innings and striking out 11 Sunday — and said he wants to remain with the Sox.
“Definitely,” Crochet said. “As far as that stuff [trade rumors] goes, I’m just focused on doing exactly what I’m doing right now: taking the ball here for the White Sox. Other than that I don’t really think about it.”
Because of his strong play and relatively cheap contract — Crochet is under team control through 2026 — he’s valuable to other teams that will need pitching for the playoff push.
With Crochet’s ascension, the Sox would be selling high on a player they helped mold into a more than serviceable starter. The discussion with Robert is trickier because of his right hip flexor injury, which caused him to spend more than a month on the injured list.
When healthy, Robert possesses the talent to be a difference-maker. He’s young (26) and is coming off a 2023 season that saw him become an All-Star, win a Gold Glove and hit 38 homers with 80 RBI in 145 games.
However, Robert has struggled this season with injuries and performance. He’s slashing .205/.279/.487 with nine homers in 31 games. Robert, like Crochet, said he doesn’t pay much attention to rumors.
“That’s not in my hands,” Robert said Saturday. “I’m going to do my best wherever I have to play, wherever I’ll be.”
If the Sox decide to trade Robert, they’d be selling low on a player who has shown he can be one of the best in the majors.
But that’s the dilemma Getz has on his hands as he continues to shape the Sox in his vision.
USA Today reported that the team wants “prospects with enormous upside” for Crochet, which may indicate how far away Getz and the front office feel that the team is from being competitive.
Getz joined the Sox organization in 2017 before being promoted to assistant general manager in 2021 and senior vice president and general manager in 2023 after the firings of Ken Williams and Rick Hahn. Getz saw the Sox at their nadir (101 losses last season and a 3-22 start this season) and ran the development staff that saw former top prospects stall out at the major-league level.
It’s on Getz to identify young players and also ensure the Sox have the infrastructure to develop them. The trade deadline is the next step of the rebuild for Getz, but it can’t be the last.