The New York Mets, looking for rotation additions, possess enough talent in their farm system to potentially trade for at least a solid young starter with club control, though it’d be trickier to land someone splashier, rival evaluators said.
Chicago White Sox lefty Garrett Crochet, 25, may be the best available starter on the trade market. White Sox GM Chris Getz has said that in return for Crochet, he’d want position players.
More specifically, according to people familiar with Chicago’s farm system, the organization needs better players up the middle (spots like shortstop, second base and center field).
Regarding whether the Mets have the necessary prospects to entice Chicago for Crochet, league sources say that they probably do, but it’s close.
Some of the Mets’ top prospects such as Jett Williams and Luisangel Acuña profile as up-the-middle players. The Mets also have others who play up the middle ranking a tier or two below their top guys. However, the Mets’ farm system was hit hard by injuries in 2024, making some evaluations difficult. Appearing as a panelist on SNY recently, former Mets GM Zack Scott proposed a trade package for Crochet that included Williams, Ronny Mauricio, Brett Baty and Jesus Baez. He added that he wouldn’t necessarily do the deal if he was working for either club; that’s just what it might take. For the Mets, it may be too much to part with in an improving system. For the White Sox, they may be able to find better.
One rival executive suggested that for someone like Crochet, the Mets would probably have to part with a pitching prospect to help balance things out. Thus, other teams that have pitching needs boast better systems and may be better fits. Just from a speculative standpoint, the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles come to mind.
The White Sox certainly wouldn’t turn down extra pitching; it’s just that with consensus top-100 prospects Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith, among others, their pitching is believed to be ahead of their hitting. For Chicago, overall prospect ceiling likely holds more importance than an estimated time of arrival for the majors, league sources said. Coming off the worst season in modern MLB history, the White Sox simply cannot miss on deals involving someone like Crochet.
Crochet has two more years left of club control before becoming a free agent. His estimated salary through arbitration in 2025, per MLB Trade Rumors’ model, comes in at just $2.9 million. In 2024, he made the All-Star team and had a 3.58 ERA with 209 strikeouts and 33 walks in 146 innings.
The White Sox have to be realistic regarding the likelihood of landing multiple high-level type prospects because that doesn’t happen often. But they should have a greater amount of interested teams in the offseason compared to the summer. Also, they don’t have the pressure of a firm deadline.
Could a team like the Mets absorb salary in a potential trade and therefore lower the prospect cost? Outfielder Andrew Benintendi is owed $49.3 million over the next three seasons. Outfielder Luis Robert Jr., a much more enticing trade candidate, will make $15 million in 2025 with club options for the following two years each valued at $20 million. It’s an option the White Sox must consider, provided a trading partner is willing to take on money.
It is no surprise then that Crochet would at least be on the Mets’ radar. The New York Post recently reported them as among the teams interested. Come next season, the Mets may have as many as three vacancies in their rotation, with Luis Severino, Sean Manaea and Jose Quintana all becoming free agents.
But given the asking price and the state of their farm system compared to others, it wouldn’t at all be shocking to see the Mets end up with someone else.
A young pitcher with club control, less cachet than Crochet and on a team with some rotation depth may be more likely. As an example, someone like Pittsburgh Pirates starter Luis Ortiz (25 years old and not a free agent until 2030) may fit that profile. There are a bunch of others. Generally speaking, deals involving major-league pitchers with club control are very hard to pull off given the demand for innings in the sport. It is just one of a handful of paths the Mets can take to address a major need.
Mets hire assistant pitching coach from Yankees
Dating back to at least last year, the Mets had expressed some interest in hiring an assistant pitching coach to work under Jeremy Hefner. New York is adding Desi Druschel, who had the same job with the New York Yankees, for the role, league sources confirmed. SNY first reported the move. Druschel has a strong reputation for pitch design, movement, finger placement and throwing programs. He worked with Mets manager Carlos Mendoza for two seasons while both were with the Yankees. In a rare occurrence for the franchise, the Mets are set to return the entirety of their coaching staff from last year, which should provide stability heading into Mendoza’s second season.
(Top photo of Garrett Crochet: Aaron Gash / Associated Press)
