The best Mets trade package they should offer the White Sox for Garrett Crochet
The New York Mets are in buyer mode heading into the trade deadline. The team has seen its position improve regarding its chances of returning to the postseason this year, so it needs to cover areas on the roster to be more competitive.
Although the approach the organization will take will be cautious in terms of the cost of its top prospects, the Mets should at least entertain the idea of offering a package for Garrett Crochet, who is the best pitching option available on the market and has multiple years of control that would help the team in the future. The cost for Crochet will be high, but it should not deter the Mets from offering a package for him even if they fail to win the bid against other organizations.
The Mets should offer Brett Baty, Luisangel Acuña, Kevin Parada, Mike Vasil, and Nolan McLean for Garrett Crochet
The Chicago White Sox expect to receive a big haul of prospects in any offer for Crochet this week. The left-hander leading in fWAR in all of MLB would not be a free agent until 2027 and earns a low salary of just $800,000 this season.
Likewise, acquiring Crochet does not come without risks, since this pitcher is in his first season as a starter after undergoing Tommy John surgery and having been a reliever his entire professional career. This factor could limit Crochet's return due to his risk of going to the bullpen this season due to the load in terms of innings and the possible risk of injury if he remains a starter and overloads his arm.
The White Sox would be acquiring from the Mets a former top 30 baseball prospect in Brett Baty and a current top 90 prospect in all of baseball in Luisangel Acuña. Kevin Parada feeds the depth of the catcher position that already has the recently acquired top prospect Edgar Quero. To complement this trade, the Mets would include two pitchers, Mike Vasil and Nolan McLean.
There is a high probability that this package will not be enough for the Mets to acquire Crochet with deep farm system rivals such as the Baltimore Orioles and the Los Angeles Dodgers, who would not have the reluctance (like the Mets) to trade their best prospects to offer a smaller number of players. Likewise, the Mets should try to open themselves to the idea of trying to make a bid for this pitcher, especially given the team's depth at this position and the few reliable MLB-ready options for this year and the future.