Braves Trade Hypothetical For Garrett Crochet

On a couple of different occasions, the Braves have been linked to Garrett Crochet this offseason.  First, it was ESPN’s Buster Olney, who referred to the Braves as a team that had interest in Crochet at this year’s trade deadline and would likely resume that interest this offseason.

“The Braves were involved in the Crochet trade talks in the summer, and it figures they will be again — at the very least, to push the Phillies, as they did in the Nola negotiations,” Olney writes.

More recently, one MLB executive referred to the Braves as an ideal landing spot for the White Sox ace.

“Sox would rather put him in the NL,” the exec said. “Wouldn’t rule out other big-market clubs. Where Garrett wants to sign an extension is a factor and would think Atlanta is the most appealing landing spot for him long term.”

There are a few aspects to a Braves trade for Garrett Crochet trade that make a lot of sense. He’s an ultra-talented left-handed pitcher that could potentially replace Max Fried at a fraction of the price. The need to replace Max Fried just got much greater following the news that Spencer Strider will not be ready for Opening Day. The Braves and White Sox made a trade last offseason, involving Aaron Bummer and Michael Soroka, so there’s a clear working relationship between the two sides. But perhaps most importantly, Crochet wants to sign an extension before throwing another pitch.

That last part is typically right up Alex Anthopoulos’ alley, but one has to wonder if he’s dying to give another young arm a long-term extension after just one productive season as a starter after what happened to Spencer Strider this past season. Regardless, there’s no question Garret Crochet will be on the Braves’ radar this offseason, so what might a hypothetical trade look like?

Braves Trade Hypothetical For Garrett Crochet

• Braves Trade: Drake Baldwin, Hurston Waldrep, Owen Murphy, Drue Hackenberg
• White Sox Trade: Garrett Crochet 

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That’s four of the Braves top 10 prospects, including two that will be featured on most top 100 prospect lists heading into the season in Drake Baldwin and Hurston Waldrep. Both of them would sting to lose, but the Braves shouldn’t be too worried about the future of their rotation after acquiring Garrett Crochet, and Drake Baldwin doesn’t have a clear path to the field with Sean Murphy in the fold.

Owen Murphy and Drue Hackenberg are two more very intriguing arms that would make this a tremendous haul for the White Sox. Murphy was having an unbelievable 2024 campaign, one that might have garnered top 100 prospect consideration, boasting a 1.54 ERA over seven starts. Unfortunately, Tommy John surgery ended his season early, but he’s still a young arm to be excited about.

Hackenberg was a second-round selection in last year’s draft and has already rocketed up through the system, ending the 2024 campaign with the Gwinnett Stripers, where he recorded a 1.52 ERA over four starts. He could make his MLB debut as early as 2025.

That’s a helluva haul for the White Sox, but it wouldn’t shock me if they were able to get even more out of the Braves or another inquiring team. 25-year-old aces with multiple years of cheap control don’t grow on trees. Chicago should be able to get a king’s ransom for Garrett Crochet.

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Photo: Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire