White Sox trade rumors tracker: Garrett Crochet on the move?

The Chicago White Sox are in sell mode this summer, a rebuilding team with the worst record in baseball.

They’re seemingly open to dealing just about anyone off the major league roster, whether it’s obvious candidates like Erick Fedde and Tommy Pham or younger players with more control like Garrett Crochet and Luis Robert Jr.

Given that it could be another mass exodus from the South Side, we’ll be keeping tabs on the biggest White Sox trade rumors between now and the trade deadline on July 30.

White Sox trade rumors: Team reportedly intends to move Garrett Crochet (June 30)

RUMOR: USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported Sunday that “brief contract-extension talks” between the White Sox and Garrett Crochet produced “no optimism toward reaching an agreement” and that the team intends to trade their best starting pitcher prior to the trade deadline on July 30.

ANALYSIS: While it’s no surprise to see Crochet’s name mentioned as a possible trade candidate, this report added more certainty in the minds of many that the big lefty’s time on the South Side is running out. There’s still the matter of two teams agreeing on a swap, and the White Sox could certainly value Crochet higher than other teams given what they’ve watched this year as he’s blossomed from a relatively inexperienced reliever into one of the best starting pitchers in baseball.

Given the sizable expansion of Crochet’s workload — he’s up to 101.1 innings on the season following Sunday’s start against the Rockies after never throwing more than 54.1 in a big league season prior to 2024 — it’s somewhat of a mystery how much he’ll be able to handle in the second half, and Pedro Grifol talked recently about the White Sox’ plan to “dwindle” Crochet’s workload moving forward. What effect that would have on a team being able to meet Chris Getz’s asking price remains to be seen.

But undoubtedly, Crochet has been nothing short of fantastic for the White Sox this season, leading the majors with 141 strikeouts, owning a 3.02 ERA and as good a choice as there is to be the AL’s starting pitcher in the All-Star Game later this month. It makes sense, then, that there’s been plenty of interest, with Nightengale writing that 15 different teams have contacted the White Sox about Crochet, including the Dodgers, whose offer was “quickly rejected.”

It’s potentially a sad state of affairs for White Sox fans, though, who surely were disheartened to read that contract-extension talks went nowhere with a young pitcher who seems the perfect candidate to rebuild around. Even with Crochet under control for two years past the end of this season, the White Sox seem ready for a lengthy rebuilding project that wouldn’t produce a contender during that span and see an opportunity to bring more talent into the organization. Per Nightengale, the front office is “seeking young prospects with enormous upside,” again perhaps pointing to a long wait for another contending team on the South Side.

White Sox trade rumors: Team reportedly considering waiting to move Luis Robert Jr. (June 30)

RUMOR: USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported Sunday that the White Sox have fielded calls from teams inquiring about Luis Robert Jr., who has also been oft-discussed as a trade candidate ahead of the deadline. Nightengale said that due to Robert’s “struggles,” the team is considering keeping him until at least the offseason.

ANALYSIS: Robert has three years of control past the end of this season, even more than fellow trade candidate Garrett Crochet. And Robert’s immense talent means the asking price is most likely even higher than the one for Crochet, as well. But as Nightengale alluded to, Robert’s stock might not be so high at the moment. He missed nearly two months while on the injured list after an early season hip injury, and his overall offensive numbers don’t look anything like what they did a year ago, when he earned MVP consideration with 38 home runs and Gold Glove caliber defense.

Still, the 470-foot homer he crushed in Saturday’s win over the Rockies was a perfect glimpse into what he’s still plenty capable of.

Giving Robert the second half of the season to remind folks of the impact he makes on any given game makes plenty of sense if Chris Getz is looking for the biggest return package imaginable, a haul that could rank among the biggest considering Robert’s talent, affordability and the amount of team control that comes with it. It comes down to finding a team to meet that asking price, perhaps making a deal this summer unlikely.

Much like the conversation surrounding Crochet, that the White Sox are even open to trading Robert says plenty about how lengthy they expect this rebuilding project to last. While obviously, he presents a rare opportunity to stock the farm system with impressive talent, that the team doesn’t expect to be able to utilize an affordable player with superstar potential to help them win between now and the end of the 2027 season says a lot — and none of it good for fans.

White Sox trade rumors: Team reportedly ‘openly shopping’ Andrew Benintendi (June 30)

RUMOR: USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported Sunday that the White Sox are “openly shopping” Andrew Benintendi, the struggling outfielder who inked the richest free-agent deal in club history two offseasons ago.

ANALYSIS: The White Sox are in a much different place as a franchise than they were when they signed Benintendi to that deal before the 2023 season, which started with win-now expectations before spiraling into a 101-loss disaster. Now rebuilding, it makes sense they’d want to move away from their expensive commitment to a veteran player. And given their openness to trading even young players with two or three years of control left, such as Garrett Crochet and Luis Robert Jr., it would seem that even a productive Benintendi wouldn’t help a contending club in the three years remaining on his contract after this season.

But Benintendi has been anything but productive during his year and a half in a White Sox uniform. After batting .262 in 2023, he’s been significantly worse in 2024, with a .200 batting average. He has been bothered by injuries, both to his hand (last year) and his Achilles (this year), but he has come nowhere close to not only living up to his contract but living up to his past successes as a major leaguer.

It all figures to mean little to no interest on the trade front this summer, even if the front office is trying to move him.

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