MLB insider’s Garrett Crochet trade package highlights insane risk Padres could face

While nothing is certain this far away from the trade deadline, it is abundantly clear that the San Diego Padres' front office, led by AJ Preller, is going to be busy. The Friars have already made waves this year with trades for Dylan Cease and Luis Arráez, and with the team playing well right now, there is basically zero chance that Preller isn't going to at least kick the tires on the trade market to see if he can improve San Diego's roster at the deadline.

One rumor that has persisted early on in the mill is the Padres targeting Garrett Crochet. That certainly tracks with Preller's aggressive tendency, and with both Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove dealing with injuries with uncertain return timelines. Adding a starter of Crochet's caliber is a fit for the Padres' needs.

However, such a move would be very, very costly in terms of prospect capital. Some have argued that Crochet's price is going to be suppressed by the possible need to manage his innings in the second half, but the fact remains that he is one of the best pitchers in baseball this year with huge upside, and the White Sox are not going to give him and his 2.5 years of team control up for cheap. It is for this reason why The Athletic's Jim Bowden's proposed package from the Padres for Crochet both shouldn't shock SD fans, but should also serve as a reminder of the risk in pursuing the left-hander.

The Padres can swing a trade for Garrett Crochet, but that doesn't mean they should

In Bowden's package, the Padres would be giving up their second- and fourth-ranked prospects in Robby Snelling and Leo De Vries, as well as No. 9 prospect Austin Krob. Snelling isn't having a great year at Double-A, but is still highly regarded as a pitching prospect. De Vries may be the highest ceiling prospect in the Padres' system and could be a "top prospect in baseball"-type in a couple years after being the jewel of the 2024 international free agent class.

That is a heavy price to pay for Crochet, but it also isn't crazy to think that's what it would take to pry him away from Chicago. The White Sox's asking price for Crochet has been high, but the recent reports that they fully intend on trading Crochet at the deadline suggest they are getting offers close enough to their asking price to convince them.

It is tempting to fully drink the Preller Kool-Aid and let him swing yet another blockbuster. However, San Diego does still expect Darvish and Musgrove to return this year, and it may be smarter to target less costly (but still helpful) arms like Tyler Anderson or Jesus Luzardo, instead of emptying the top of the farm system for Crochet and his very murky future.

More Padres News from Friars on Base