Starting pitching is one of the Dodgers’ top priorities, according to general manager Brandon Gomes, and they have already been linked to many elite candidates.
That might happen in free agency, when the Dodgers have the money to sign a player like Blake Snell, Max Fried, or Corbin Burnes.
However, they have other options for obtaining a front-line arm because of their drafting and development. The Dodgers are among the top contenders for a Crochet trade, according to Jim Bowden of the Athletic:
The Red Sox, Orioles, and Dodgers are the teams that are most likely to acquire Garrett Crochet before the end of this year, according to every front office executive I’ve spoken to. This is because all three teams have the young, everyday position players that the White Sox are looking for in exchange for the 25-year-old lefty, who has two more years of team control.
In any potential deal involving Crochet, the White Sox have made it clear that they would like to acquire position players.
Because of their three-team deal at the deadline and previous Crochet conversations, the White Sox should already be well familiar with the prospects in the Dodgers organizational system.
The Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles will still compete with the Dodgers for Crochet, though. The Red Sox should have the upper hand in trade negotiations with the White Sox, depending on how much each team wants Crochet.
According to MLB Pipeline, Boston has six prospects ranked in the top 100, three of them are in the top 10. In addition, all six are position players.
None of the Dodgers’ three position players in the top 100 are ranked higher than 39. Despite having just two prospects, the Orioles have two that rank in the top 15.
The Dodgers may take the opposite position over the Garrett Crochet trade.
The Dodgers may have to give up some of their best prospects, including Dalton Rushing, in order to compete with the trade packages that the Red Sox and Orioles could put together.
According to reports, the Dodgers turned down the White Sox’s requests for Rushing and other players during the trade deadline negotiations.
The Dodgers may have to make a small concession to the White Sox’s demands, depending on how much they want Crochet. That might, however, also depend on how much the Orioles or Red Sox are prepared to sacrifice.
