Yankees, Mets among teams competing for White Sox starter Garrett Crochet: Sources

DALLAS – After engaging in a spirited bidding war for prized free agent Juan Soto, the New York Mets and New York Yankees are among the teams vying for the best starting pitcher available via trade, Chicago White Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet , sources briefed on say the talks.

The Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox are among the other teams interested in Crochet, but the Mets and Yankees were the most aggressive suitors as of Monday, according to two sources briefed on the White Sox’s discussions. No deal with any club was considered close.

Crochet, 25, is under club control for two more seasons before becoming a free agent. His estimated salary through arbitration in 2025, per MLB Trade Rumorsis only $2.9 million, a number that is especially appealing with free-agent starting pitcher prices skyrocketing.

The Mets, after beating out the Yankees for Soto, also appear to have the edge for Crochet, based on the young talent they could offer. The White Sox ideally want major-league ready hitters. And while shortstop Colson Montgomery is their top position prospect, people familiar with the Sox’s farm system say the team still needs better players at up-the-middle positions such as shortstop, second base and center field.

Some of the Mets’ top prospects, such as Jett Williams and Luisangel Acuña, profile as up-the-middle players. The Mets also have Brett Baty, a former top prospect, who is blocked at third base by Mark Vientos. After being demoted to Triple A last season, Baty increased his versatility by playing second base.

Yankees top prospect Jasson Domínguez is a leading candidate to be the team’s center fielder next season. Perhaps its next best young hitters — center fielder Spencer Jones and infielder George Lombard Jr. – comes up with important questions.

The 6-foot-6 Jones, a first-round pick in 2022, is powerful and athletic, but struck out 200 times in 544 plate appearances at Double A last season while hitting 17 home runs with a .788 OPS. Lombard, a first-rounder in ’23, is just 19 and batted a combined .231 with a .672 OPS across two levels in Class A.

ESPN’s Buster Olney reported Monday that the Yankees and White Sox talked about Crochet last summer, but the White Sox didn’t value the Yankees’ position prospects highly enough to make a trade realistic.

Asked whether the Yankees now have enough to entice the White Sox, an official with knowledge of the talks said, “It depends on how you value the top (of the farm system),” presumably referring to Jones, Lombard and possibly other.

The Phillies made an offer to Crochet at the trade deadline that the White Sox deemed attractive, but the teams never found a match. The chances of a deal since then have diminished, in part because the Phillies are unwilling to offer as much for Crochet now that he is available for two pennant runs instead of three, league sources said.

The Red Sox, in dire need of a left-handed starter, appear to be a perfect fit for crochet. But while Boston’s farm system is bursting with the kind of young position players the White Sox covet, it seems more focused on other pursuits, league sources said.

The Mets, on the other hand, have continued their pursuit of hedging at the winter meetings and engaged in further discussions with the White Sox. Details of the Mets’ offer are not known, but Crochet’s relatively low salary would be ideal at a time when they need other areas.

So far, the Mets have added free agents Frankie Montas and Clay Holmes, whom they plan to convert to a starter, to a rotation that also includes Kodai Senga and David Peterson, along with potential depth options Paul Blackburn and Tylor Megill. Crochet would fit somewhere at the top of that group.

The Yankees are more settled in their rotation, which features Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil, Clarke Schmidt, Nestor Cortes Jr. and Marcus Stroman. But bolstering their pitching is one way for the Yankees to combat the loss of Soto, and they could trade Cortes or Stroman to clear salary.

The White Sox converted Crochet from a reliever to a starter last season. He went on to make the American League All-Star team, finishing with a 3.58 ERA, 209 strikeouts and 33 walks in 146 innings.

(Photo: Rich Storry/Getty Images)