Untouchable Padres prospects keeping AJ Preller from revisiting trade deadline target

The San Diego Padres need at least one, and possibly two more starting pitchers this offseason. San Diego will be without Joe Musgrove next season after the Padres' frontline starter underwent Tommy John surgery after an early exit during the 2024 playoffs.

One player who's sure to draw the Padres' attention is Garrett Crochet. The Friars were heavily linked to the Chicago White Sox ace during the summer, and president of baseball operations AJ Preller was rumored to be enamored by the hard-throwing southpaw.

Crochet threw a monkey wrench in to negotations, with reports claiming he wanted a contract extension to be part of any potential trade. The lefty even threatened to sit out of the postseason if a new deal was not part of a trade package. That halted all negotiations, and Crochet stayed put on the South Side of Chicago. The White Sox are revving up once again, and it appears as though Crochet could be on the move this winter.

Untouchable Padres prospects keeping AJ Preller from revisiting trade deadline target

But Padres fans may want to temper expectations if they think San Diego will be among those vying for Crochet's services this offseason. While Preller will no doubt kick the tires on a potential trade with the White Sox, the cost might be too steep even for the Padres' top decision-maker. Preller's never seen a deal he didn't like, but acquiring Crochet will even push his limits.

Landing Crochet is going to take some top prospects, and it's highly unlikely that Preller will be willing to part with one of Leodalis De Vries or Ethan Salas. Both teenage prospects are viewed as potential cornerstones for the Padres moving forward, but after swinging deals for Dylan Cease, Tanner Scott, and Luis Arráez last year, San Diego's cupboard is rather bare otherwise.

According to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal (subscription required), a number of teams have already expressed interest in acquiring Crochet this offseason. Rosenthal notes that both the Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies were in talks to trade for Crochet last summer, but Chicago stood pat.

Preller's impulse to trade for Crochet is unlikely to overcome his desire to keep both De Vries and Salas in the Padres farm system. With those two untouchable prospects off the table, San Diego will have to look elsewhere in order to upgrade the starting rotation this offseason.

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