Proposed Padres-Garrett Crochet trade feels too little, too late after SD's pursuit

With AJ Preller leading the San Diego Padres' front office, the Friar faithful have learned that anything is possible. The Padres President of Baseball Operations has presided over more trades than he'd care to count, but one eluded him last year.

The Padres were thought to be one of the top suitors for Chicago White Sox starter Garrett Crochet. The southpaw reportedly had contractual demands as the MLB trade deadline neared, and that scared many teams (including the Padres) away.

But with the offseason in full swing, Crochet is expected to be available once again. The lefty has two years of team control remaining, and with the South Siders staring down a full-blown rebuild, it shouldn't come as a surprise to hear rumblings about a potential Crochet trade this winter.

Proposed Padres-Garrett Crochet trade feels too little, too late after San Diego's pursuit

Bleacher Report recently released eight trade proposals for the White Sox's starting pitcher and the Padres were among those listed. The package itself was rather costly, and considering the current state of the Padres a trade for Crochet this offseason feels like too little, too late.

Bleacher Report's proposal includes top prospect Ethan Salas, left-handed pitcher Kash Mayfield, and outfielder Kavares Tears. According to MLB Pipeline, all three players are among the top six prospects in the Padres farm system, with Salas ranked as a top-20 overall prospect in MLB.

Not only is that a steep price that San Diego is likely unwilling to pay, the Padres already have two top-flight starters who are entering their final year of team control. With Michael King and Dylan Cease set to hit the free agent market next winter, the last thing San Diego would need is another frontline starter who's sure to command a king's ransom with his next contract.

Preller is also very bullish on his top prospects. Though the Juan Soto trade from 2022 saw the Friars sacrifice a lot of their top young talent, the Padres' top executive usually keeps his favorite prospects in the the pipeline. Players like Jackson Merrill and Fernando Tatis Jr. are the most recent examples of that.

Bleacher Report listed several other potential landing spots for Crochet, including the Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies, and Cleveland Guardians. Because of Preller's fondness for the White Sox's hurler, don't be shocked to hear the Padres continually tied to the Crochet rumors this offseason. But the return is going to be costly, and the Padres seem unlikely to bring Crochet to San Diego this winter.

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