The White Sox are making it easy for their trade partners.
With a “ton of interest” in lefty Garrett Crochet, White Sox general manager Chris Getz outlined what his team is seeking in a potential trade for the fireballing 25-year-old starter.
The Mets are one of the teams discussing Crochet, per The Post’s Jon Heyman, while the Dodgers and Padres made trade offers this summer and the Yankees are known fans.
“We are focusing on position player return,” Getz said, as reported by 670 The Score. “That is our primary focus in any trade talks. The right players have to be there. We can’t force anything. We certainly need to improve our offense. That is very clear. That is what we need to do in any trade or free-agent acquisition.”
The White Sox set the modern era record for most losses in last year’s 41-121 campaign and could have a long road ahead of them to return to contention.
While there are many reasons why a team loses 121 games, the White Sox scored an MLB-low 507 runs — 97 runs short of the Rays’ 29th-ranked offense.
Chicago slashed .221/.278/.340/.618 as a team, with all but one player among 129 qualified hitters posting a better OPS than the collective team.
The White Sox lack cornerstone players who can potentially be part of the team’s next contending core.
“You want to get the highest return for your club,” Getz said. “Some organizations’ top talent is much different than others. We have spent a lot of time and resources studying other teams’ farm systems. Garrett had an outstanding year, so as much as other teams are interested, I can also see him making an Opening Day start for us as well.”
While Getz may say that keeping Crochet is a viable option, the reality is that a losing team headed nowhere should cash in when it has the best chance to maximize his value.
Crochet went 6-12 with a 3.58 ERA last season in his first full season as a starter, earning his first All-Star berth too.
His ability to thrive both as a reliever and starter make him more attractive, and that he made a full season’s worth of starts is notable since Crochet has struggled to stay healthy during his career.
The White Sox entertained trading him at the deadline this summer, but Crochet wanted load management rules and an extension from any acquiring team.
Teams may be more comfortable working out an extension in the winter than during the season where they are not forced into a quicker decision and weighing the upside of said move amid their standings.
Crochet has two years left on his contract, an added bonus for acquiring teams.
“There is a long list of teams that have expressed interest in Garrett,” Getz said. “That is not surprising considering what he accomplished last year. We will continue to have those conversations. If there is a match, we will be ready. There are more teams showing interest now (than at the trade deadline). It’s a different time of the year when no one is forced by a date.”
The Mets have young position players they could move, such as the demoted Brett Baty, but they have a shown an opposition to dealing prospects to land players.
