The Boston Red Sox fell short of competing with the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles this season, but they have a strong foundation to build on. Rather than a full rebuild, the team needs to focus on making aggressive moves to strengthen its roster. One key area of need is the starting rotation, where Boston could benefit from adding one or two reliable arms.
While free agency offers some options, many come with hefty price tags and intense bidding wars. Instead, the Red Sox should target players like Jack Flaherty or Max Fried, while also considering a trade for Chicago White Sox left-handed ace Garrett Crochet. Here’s a potential trade scenario to bring Crochet to Boston:
– Red Sox receive: LHP Garrett Crochet
– White Sox receive: SS Franklin Arias (No. 6 prospect), SS Yoeilin Cespedes (No. 7 prospect), OF Miguel Bleis (No. 8 prospect), SS/2B Mikey Romero (No. 16 prospect)
The White Sox are reportedly open to moving Crochet this offseason, but their bargaining power diminishes the longer they wait. If a deal extends into the regular season, Crochet’s price could drop. Currently, however, his trade value remains high. For Boston, if keeping its top five prospects intact is a priority, the package would likely need to include the sixth, seventh, eighth, and 16th-ranked prospects in their system.
Arias and Cespedes are promising teenage shortstops with well-rounded skill sets and batting averages over .300 in professional play. Bleis, an outfielder with significant potential, has faced challenges since moving up from rookie ball but still has a high ceiling. Romero, a former first-round pick, had a strong season in 2023, finishing in Double-A with an impressive .821 OPS across three levels.
Adding Crochet would provide the Red Sox with a much-needed ace to pair alongside Tanner Houck in the rotation. If Boston can secure Crochet without parting with their top five prospects, it’s a deal worth pursuing.
