The Crane Pool Forum

I've seen several rumors floating around about the Mets making a blockbuster trade for the White Sox pitcher. He's two years away from free agency. Every speculated trade I've seen includes Brett Baty, and acknowledges that other players would certainly have to be included. (Acuna and Mauricio have been mentioned.)

Totally burst onto the radar this year, his first as a starter.

L/L (not that the second L matters anymore) 6' 6"/ 245
Former #11 overall draft pick out of U of Tennessee in the abbreviated (five rounds) 2020 draft
Went directly to the majors and made his first appearance in Sept of '20
Only made 12 minor league appearances and not until 2023
Will turn 26 in mid-season '25 / three years of club control, thru '27
Missed all of '22 with some kind of injury
Made a full season's worth of starts (32) in '24 although only 146 innings so just 4.5 IP/start (which is probably smart given the missed time)
3.58 ERA; 1.07 WHIP; 12.9 K/9 vs 2.0 BB/9 (yes, that's 2 BB/per 9, not per inning like we're used to)
And I think I heard him say that he's going to play for free for whichever team gets him off the White Sox

But, yeah, you're gonna have to give up to get.
Place your pun about knitting together a deal here:

Well, it seems to me that the report is just a yarn.

He’s only had one good year. And was basically a 5 inning pitcher. Also said he wouldn’t pitch the post season unless he got an extension.

Also. His leg kick is all sorts of weird.

Centerfield wrote: ↑Mon Nov 11, 2024 2:40 pm Also said he wouldn’t pitch the post season unless he got an extension.

That is kind of a red flag for dickishness, isn't it?

I would think so. I went back and checked the article to make sure.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/406 ... ion-traded

There are no direct quotes from Crochet, but it doesn't really look like it was refuted. He does cite health concerns for the demand, so maybe it wasn't completely selfish. But a guy saying "I can't pitch in the post-season or out of the pen or else I'll get hurt" isn't a great sign either.

And like I said. He's had one good season and a history of injuries. Maybe the smart people will decide he's worth the risk. If it was me, I wouldn't give up my top prospects go get him.

The old reserve player's plea, who knows he'll will be exposed by playing regularly," Bench me or trade me".
Later

Former Mets GM Zack Scott (remember him?) has proposed the following deal:

Mets receive: left-handed pitcher Garrett Crochet
White Sox receive: infielder/outfielder Jett Williams, infielder Ronny Mauricio, infielder Brett Baty and infielder Jesus Baez

Benjamin Grimm wrote: ↑Thu Nov 14, 2024 11:53 am Former Mets GM Zack Scott (remember him?) has proposed the following deal:

Mets receive: left-handed pitcher Garrett Crochet
White Sox receive: infielder/outfielder Jett Williams, infielder Ronny Mauricio, infielder Brett Baty and infielder Jesus Baez

That's prospects numbered 1, 6, and 8 in SNY's top 10. Plus, Baty, who has a .900 OPS in AAA. This trade would involve trading Williams, Mauricio and Baez off of injured seasons (value low) and Baty, who's value is low after starting slow in the bigs.

Trading these four young players at the valley of their value sounds a lot like something Mets GMs of the past would have done.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: ↑Thu Nov 14, 2024 11:53 am Former Mets GM Zack Scott (remember him?)

Drunk-driving Mets GM, not Dick-Pic Mets GM. Got it

Well, it was suggested by a GM of the past!

I expect that the Mets are at a point now where they'd be willing to dip into their prospect pool for the right deal. I'm not sure that this is the one to do that for.

I feel like it would suck not seeing Ronny in the big leagues with the Mets , it's a pass for me

Johnny Lunchbucket wrote: ↑Thu Nov 14, 2024 12:02 pm

Benjamin Grimm wrote: ↑Thu Nov 14, 2024 11:53 am Former Mets GM Zack Scott (remember him?)

Drunk-driving Mets GM, not Dick-Pic Mets GM. Got it

LOLOLOL

He's yet to present any evidence that he can handle a full season of work, and his 5.12 ERA and .823 OPS against after the ASB should not instill any confidence. Somebody is going to severely overpay for this guy, and I really hope that somebody isn't us.

smg58 wrote: ↑Thu Nov 14, 2024 6:11 pm He's yet to present any evidence that he can handle a full season of work, and his 5.12 ERA and .823 OPS against after the ASB should not instill any confidence. Somebody is going to severely overpay for this guy, and I really hope that somebody isn't us.

This is where I am as well. Take this with a grain of salt since I've never seen Crochet pitch, but the back of that baseball card doesn't tell a great story.

I said earlier he's had one good season, and a history of injuries. smg is right. It's one good half season. His WHIP in the second half of 2024 was 1.397. So really, you're tying all of your hopes and dreams to a 20 start stretch at the beginning of this year, where he put up a 3.02 ERA and a 0.950 WHIP.

For me, I don't know if I'd give up any two of those guys on that list, much less all of them.

Pass. This has the makings of a classic overpay.

I saw him pitch in that third game against the White Sox and I think he struck out the first seven Mets he faced.

His point about the postseason was that he already far beyond his innings pitched, and he didn’t want to get traded to a team that would abuse him for two-and-half months and not be invested in his future.

If we have some surplus talent and can land him without shipping out our top prospects, I’d do it. Maybe a package around Baty, McNeil, (with the Mets picking up a chunk of salary) and one of the next tier prospects.

The Sox need warm bodies who don’t completely suck.

Marshmallowmilkshake wrote: ↑Sun Nov 17, 2024 12:29 pm I saw him pitch in that third game against the White Sox and I think he struck out the first seven Mets he faced.

His point about the postseason was that he already far beyond his innings pitched, and he didn’t want to get traded to a team that would abuse him for two-and-half months and not be invested in his future.

If we have some surplus talent and can land him without shipping out our top prospects, I’d do it. Maybe a package around Baty, O’Neil (with the Mets picking up a chunk of salary) and one of the next tier prospects.

The Sox need warm bodies who don’t completely suck.

We'd be giving away way too much. For Baty and O'Neil, we might as well ask the Dodgers if Ohtani's available.

Is this a test, to see how long it would take for someone to ask, "Who is O'Neil?"
Later

MFS62 wrote: ↑Sun Nov 17, 2024 12:43 pm Is this a test, to see how long it would take for someone to ask, "Who is O'Neil?"
Later

Yes, McNeil. Apologies.