Dodgers Are Best Landing Spot for Top Starting Pitcher at Trade Deadline, Says National Reporter

Jun 13, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Chicago White Sox relief pitcher Garrett Crochet (45) throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the seventh inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports | Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The MLB All-Star break has finally arrived, which means the second half is near — and so is the trade deadline. The Dodgers, whose roster is reeling with injuries from top to bottom, are in desperate need to make a trade. 

The Dodgers could have plenty of options depending on how many teams are willing to sell. No player might be a better fit than White Sox southpaw ace Garrett Crochet. 

Dodgers Nation's Doug McKain caught up with ESPN's Buster Olney, and Olney mentored the possibility of the Dodgers acquiring Crochet via trade in the coming weeks:

"The best guy probably in the marketplace right now is Garrett Crochet of the White Sox. But as you well know there's gonna be this big question about his innings," Olney said. "Coming into his year, the max in his career was around 50. He's already blown well past that, he's thrown more than twice that many. And so anybody acquiring him would have to be concerned about how he would do down the stretch.

"I think if you look at the Dodgers history, they handle pitchers like that well. You could get a Garrett Crochet and tell him, 'Look, we're gonna basically give you a month off and then crank you back up.' His talent is undeniable — big, powerful left hander. He's under team control for 2025. So I think that would be someone who'd be really attractive but it all depends on how they feel about the question of, 'Is Crochet going to wear down as the season goes along?' "

The worries about Crochet's potential are obvious. He's already pitched a career-high 107.1 innings, but there is no denying his talent, especially with the worst team in the major leagues. 

Crochet has all the stuff of an ace. He's proving as much this season, and that could remain the case with the Dodgers — which says a lot considering the caliber of pitchers the Dodgers amassed prior to the season. If the Dodgers decide to make the move to acquire Crochet, it will undoubtedly be a high-risk, high-reward type of trade.