Aug 29, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies infielder Alec Bohm (28) celebrates in the dugout after hitting a three-run home run against the Los Angeles Angels in the sixth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports Kyle Ross
Alec Bohm and Justin Crawford are two of the names the Phillies and Chicago White Sox have discussed in Garrett Crochet trade talks, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale.
However, Nightengale wrote this of the interest level that the White Sox have in Bohm:
"They have spoken about Bohm and outfield prospect Justin Crawford in extensive trade talks with the Chicago White Sox for starter Garrett Crochet, but the White Sox are concerned with Bohm’s struggles the second half, posting a .681 OPS with just four home runs."
There's some interpreting to do here. In my interpretation, Nightengale is saying that the Phillies and White Sox in general have had "extensive trade talks" about Crochet, not that they've specifically had lengthy trade talks about a package centered around Bohm and Crawford. But that's not entirely clear.
From here, a package centered around Bohm and Crawford would seem to be a little thin to land Crochet, who is the top pitcher likely to be traded this offseason. Crochet is still only 25, and coming off a season where he posted a 3.58 ERA and 209 strikeouts across 146 innings pitched.
Bohm is a strong run producer, but at best an average defender at third base. He did post 44 doubles a year ago, but has just 59 home runs in parts of five MLB seasons. He's also a 28-year-old that's a couple years away from free agency. Could he be part of a trade for Crochet? Sure, but he would probably end up getting flipped again before hitting free agency given how far away the 121-loss White Sox are from contention.
In that case, the cornerstone piece you would be getting in return for Crochet would be Crawford. While the 20-year-old former first-round pick hit .313 with 42 stolen bases and 61 RBIs this past season between High-A and Double-A, there are concerns from some evaluators about how frequently he hits the ball on the ground. Could Crawford, a center fielder, be the No. 2 piece in a trade like this? Yes. It's fair to be skeptical if he would be the headliner in the return for Crochet, though.
#Phillies 'Have Not Excluded' Justin Crawford in Trade Discussions, per @mattgelb.bsky.social
onpattison.com/news/2024/no...
— Tim Kelly (@timkellysports.bsky.social) November 23, 2024 at 1:14 PM
[image or embed]
ESPN's Buster Olney and Jesse Rogers reported that last summer the Phillies were unwilling to include No. 1 prospect Andrew Painter in Crochet trade talks, and after a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League, it would be hard to imagine president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski now parting with the 21-year-old right-hander.
White Sox general manager Chris Getz has indicated that he's targeting a return package led by position players for Crochet. So this may come down to whether the Phillies are willing to include SS/3B Aidan Miller — their second-highest rated prospect — in a deal for Crochet.
After being selected in the first round of the 2024 MLB Draft, Miller hit .261 with 11 home runs, 60 RBIs, 23 stolen bases and an .811 OPS across three levels of the minors this past season. He's like Crawford in the sense that he's only 20 years old, but finished this past campaign at Double-A Reading. He's probably not in play for the majors in 2025, but 2026 seems possible. Just Baseball's Aram Leighton has Miller ranked as the No. 25 prospect in baseball.
If the Phillies offer the White Sox a package led by Miller and Crawford, they may ultimately land Crochet. The Phillies would be acquiring an excellent arm, but potentially trading away two position players who could contribute to an aging team in the not-so-distant future. They've worked a long time to rebuild the farm system. Are they prepared to put a major dent in it to try to get over the hump in 2025?
Lucky isn't the right word. But Juan Soto's free agency shows how fortunate the Phillies were with Bryce Harper.
Allow me to explain... @OnPattison https://t.co/23vv5Z4aOd
