LA Loaded and Ready: Dodgers Most Aggressive in Pursuit of…

The offseason swing is in the early stages, with the Los Angeles Dodgers having several spots on their roster to fill with key additions.

One name again in the mix is Chicago White Sox ace Garrett Crochet, whom the Dodgers tried to bring over in late July around the trade deadline. The 25-year-old has pitched in parts of four Major League seasons, with his best coming in 2024.

Of starting pitchers with 140 innings, Crochet stood out with a 29.6% strikeout-to-walk ratio and a 12.88 strikeouts per nine innings, both league-leading marks.

Facing a need in their starting rotation, the Dodgers are reportedly again pursuing a Crochet trade, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today:

The White Sox have openly told teams he’s available and are expected to trade him by the end of the winter meetings, with the Philadelphia Phillies and Dodgers the most aggressive.

Crochet finished last season with a 3.58 ERA, 2.83 xERA and a 1.07 WHIP across 146 innings pitched.

In was his first full-season following Tommy John surgery in 2022, the lefty showed enough of an intrigue to make him a considerable trade chip for the White Sox. In relation to his contract, Crochet is arbitration-eligible for two more seasons.

The Dodgers previously balked at the prospect cost of what the White Sox had asked in return, which is why they pivoted to acquiring Jack Flaherty from the Detroit Tigers.

Do the Dodgers need a Garrett Crochet trade?

Few points to cover, as the Dodgers handed out big money to Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow prior to the 2024 season.

With needs in their outfield and bullpen, the Dodgers should aim to acquire starting pitching on team-friendly terms. The benefit to the strategy is it offsets the large commitments on their payroll, away from just the starting rotation.

For what Crochet provides, the Dodgers should be in on what he has in the tank.

But L.A. could easily pivot to Roki Sasaki, who is expected to be posted for MLB free agency and would be subject to signing a contract that is capped by international signing bonus rules.