Bleacher Report's latest rumored trade idea is a trap for Orioles

The MLB offseason is in full swing and the Orioles are busy trying to find a solution to patch the top of their rotation this winter. Prior to the start of 2024, the O's went out and acquired Corbin Burnes from the Brewers in what turned out to be one of the best trades of Mike Elias' tenure in Baltimore.

While the Orioles have been linked to top free agent starters like Max Fried and Blake Snell, it's also possible they look to double down on their previous efforts and acquire a top arm via the trade market like they did last year.

One popular name that's come up several times, both this winter and at the trade deadline this past summer, is White Sox lefty Garrett Crochet. The 25 year old had a massive breakout season in 2024, pitching to a 3.58 ERA with a stellar 2.69 FIP and an elite 35.1% strikeout rate.

Because Crochet threw just 146 innings, he failed to qualify for the ERA title. Still, his 4.7 fWAR was good for 4th in the American League and there are many who think that his performance in the next several years will be on par with any other pitcher in the sport.

Could the Orioles work a trade with the White Sox to acquire Garrett Crochet?

However, it's fair to criticize Crochet and put his performance in question. Part of the reason why he threw so few innings was because the White Sox were historically bad, and they didn't want Crochet to injure himself while throwing meaningless innings down the stretch.

Unfortunately, another part of the reason he didn't get traded is because of a report from Jon Heyman of the NY Post. Heyman mentioned that Crochet was seeking a contract extension, from either the White Sox or the potential team acquiring him. Not only that, but he was allegedly withholding his services and said that unless he received an extension he wouldn't pitch in the postseason for any team that acquired him.

Ultimately, the Orioles passed. They acquired an incredibly effective Zach Eflin, who will return to Baltimore in 2025 and hopefully continue his strong performance alongside Grayson Rodriguez. On paper, Crochet seems to be a strong candidate to come lead the rotation in Baltimore, but the price will be high to acquire him.

Bleacher Report suggested in their latest rumors piece that the O's would have to send catching prospect Samuel Basallo back to Chicago if they want to acquire Crochet. While Basallo and another small piece might be enough for the Orioles to get a deal done, there are too many extra factors here that make you question the soundness of a deal like this.

Crochet clearly had some issues last year. Part of that was pitching for a team as bad as the White Sox were. But even considering that young players get the short end of the stick when it comes to contracts and fair pay for services, refusing to pitch without a contract extension is unhinged. It's the kind of behavior that you don't want in the clubhouse of the team you're pulling for.

Because of that, it's hard to support the idea of bringing Crochet to Baltimore. Hopefully the O's can find an alternative solution because while it would be nice to have a cost controlled ace caliber pitcher on the mound in Baltimore, bringing that kind of bad attitude along with him is going to do more harm than good.