1) Garrett Crochet
The trade market has a mix of talent and positions available this winter but none has greater market value than Garrett Crochet. Crochet was the center of attention at last season's trade deadline but the Chicago White Sox decided not to trade him.
The 11th overall pick in the 2020 draft, debuted as a reliever in the same season showing a fastball that averaged 100.1 mph. However, the pitcher's promising career was paused by an elbow injury leading to undergo ulnar collateral ligament replacement surgery causing him to miss the 2022 season and part of the 2023 season.
In 2024, the White Sox decided to make Crochet a starter and during the first half of the season he was the best pitcher in MLB but after not being traded at the deadline, they limited his innings and showed an inconsistency in his performance, probably influenced by the problems that were evident in the negotiations before being changed. Crochet's agent appeared in the press arguing that the team that acquired Crochet would have to sign a contract extension if it wanted the pitcher to pitch in the postseason due to the total number of innings he had accumulated at the time, the highest of his career.
Crochet is an exceptional launcher. The left-hander, who remembers a younger Chris Sale, has a lethal arsenal with his pitches generating a swing and miss greater than 30% with a total K% of 35.1%, a BB% of just 5.5%, and a wOBA of .280.
Crochet has an estimated 2025 arbitration value of just $2.9 million and would not be a free agent until after the 2026 season. This makes Crochet the best player available in baseball for total production versus financial cost. However, to acquire Crochet teams would have to offer a package loaded with top prospects and multiple middle prospects meaning an immediate sacrifice for the future of any organization.