Proposed Philadelphia Phillies Trade Lands Elite Versatile Pitcher

The Philadelphia Phillies could add a talented pitcher that could either start or come out of the bullpen.

Apr 19, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago White Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet (45) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports | Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia Phillies have been in the market for a pitcher and could land one that can fill whatever role that they need him to.

During the Chicago White Sox fire sale that could happen at the MLB trade deadline, pitcher Garrett Crochet could be on the move. His experience both out of the bullpen and as a starter could prove useful for the Philadelphia staff.

A potential trade could see the Phillies send outfielder Justin Crawford and pitcher Griff McGarry to Chicago for Crochet.

The versatile pitcher hit a rough patch in April but his performance since has been nothing short of spectacular.

In the month of May, the southpaw had a 0.93 ERA across five starts with a 0.724 WHIP. Four of the White Sox’s nine wins came during one of his starts. He carried the team on his back last month and could draw a lot of interest because of it.

He’s had an interesting journey over the past couple of seasons and looks to finally be hitting his stride once again.

Back in 2020, he skipped straight over the minors after being drafted out of the University of Tennessee, appearing in five games and pitching six scoreless innings to close out the season just months after being selected.

His first full season came in 2021 when he came out of the bullpen with a 2.82 ERA. He then missed all of 2022 due to Tommy John surgery. He came back to a bullpen role in May 2023 and had a 3.55 ERA.

At the start of 2024, he began his starting role. He had gotten off to a rough start, just under a 6.00 ERA over 34.2 innings of work but that is all the way down to just 3.49 after his first start of June.

The 24-year-old has kept his elite four-seam fastball at around 97 MPH. It’s by far his best pitch, but he’s also introduced a cutter this season that has given him another really successful pitch to lean on as a starter.

The Phillies could use both another bullpen arm and a fifth starter to take the place of Taijuan Walker.

Crochet could start the rest of the season and then potentially move to a bullpen role in the post-season thanks to his velocity, if Philadelphia decides to shorten the rotation.

Crawford would be the top prospect given up, but is one that they could afford to part ways with. He's a couple of years away from competing and doesn't really have much pop in his bat.

McGarry is a bit older at 25, but still has some promising stuff. He's been in Triple A for three years, maybe a new environment could help him finally reach the next level.

If the Phillies had an opportunity to make this trade, it would be beneficial in both the short and long terms.