Phillies fans are dreaming, no matter how realistic it might be, of Juan Soto in red pinstripes. Upgrading the Phils' lineup after their bats went cold in two consecutive postseasons makes sense, but could the team's biggest move this offseason actually be in the rotation?
According to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, look for the Phillies to be in the market for White Sox star Garrett Crochet:
No already-employed player was sought after more at these GM meetings than Chicago White Sox starter Garrett Crochet, who struck out 209 batters in 146 innings and earned only $800,000 last season. The White Sox have openly told teams he’s available and are expected to trade him by the end of the winter meetings, with the Philadelphia Phillies and Dodgers the most aggressive.
“A long list of teams have expressed interest," White Sox GM Chris Getz said. “The right players have to be there. We are focusing on position-player return. We can’t force anything. That is clear.” [USA Today]
Crochet, who will be entering his age-26 season in 2025, is coming off his first All-Star appearance. Sporting a career 3.29 ERA, Crochet struck out a staggering 12.9 batters per nine innings last season in 32 starts.
Crochet is under team control through the 2026 MLB season before hitting free agency.
The Phillies' rotation was the best in baseball for a large chunk of the 2024 campaign, but Ranger Suárez fell off as this year went on and the fifth starter spot continuously proved to be disastrous. All-Stars Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sánchez and Aaron Nola are locked into long-term deals, but Suárez is a free agent after this upcoming season. If the Phillies' front office is set on being all in on 2025 for a championship run and they strike out on Soto, pivoting to rotation help with the goal of just overpowering opponents with pitching does make some sense.
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