Here are 3 White Sox players who could be traded this offseason originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The White Sox made a flurry of trades ahead of the MLB trade deadline, dishing the likes of Eloy Jiménez, Erick Fedde, Michael Kopech, Paul DeJong and Tanner Banks.
However, they held on to some players they were expected to trade. But the team could revisit trade opportunities in the offseason, should they please.
That being said, here are three players the White Sox could trade this offseason.
MORE: White Sox trade deadline recap: All the trades the team made and didn’t make
All signs pointed to the 25-year-old being dealt at the deadline. His value is arguably at its highest, but GM Chris Getz and the White Sox didn’t see this juncture as the right time to move their ace.
“Garrett had strong he has had strong interest from clubs, for obvious reasons,” Getz said following the deadline’s passing. “He’s become one of the top starting pitchers in our game, and the story kind of speaks for itself. We were having discussions with clubs up until the last hour. Nothing came together. We didn’t feel like it was the right move to move Garrett, although there was that strong interest.”
Coming into the league as a reliever, Crochet set his highest single-season innings mark at 54.1 frames in 2021. In April 2022, Crochet underwent Tommy John surgery, leaving him to pitch 12.1 innings over the 2022 and 2023 seasons. (He didn’t pitch in 2022.)
But this season, he’s exploded in his first full season as a starter. He’s already pitched 114.1 innings from 22 starts. And he doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon. Crochet is holding onto a 3.23 ERA and 1.006 WHIP, with a league-leading 160 strikeouts to his name, too.
However, just days before the deadline, news dropped about Crochet’s desire to remain a starter, despite the White Sox’s attempt to taper his workload to fewer pitches. He also declared his desire for a new contract extension, especially from a potential trade suitor hoping for him to pitch in October during the playoffs.
Some teams were reportedly skeptical of his ability to stay healthy, even before the news dropped of his desire for a starter’s workload and a new contract. It makes for the White Sox to wait until Crochet’s finished a full season on the mound. That way, if he remains healthy and keeps up production, he’ll likely put opposing teams’ minds at ease.
Then, the price of Crochet should rise during the offseason.
“Arms like that just don’t come around,” Getz said of trading Crochet during the offseason. “And, the interest, perhaps, could be even stronger, being that it’s the offseason, and the urgency can change for a handful of clubs. So I anticipate the attention on Garrett and the interest in acquiring him is only going to go up.”
Robert Jr.’s case of not being traded at the deadline is fairly simple to break down.
A hip flexor injury in April kept him on the sideline for 53 games this season. And when he’s been on the field, he hasn’t shown much promise, either. He’s slashing .221/.290/.451 with 12 home runs, 25 RBI and 14 stolen bases. He’s struck out 82 times with just 20 walks.
Considering the White Sox are acquiring young prospects, it’s fair to assume the centerfielder doesn’t fit in their competitive window. But with a rocky season underway, general manager Chris Getz will have a stronger opportunity to maximize his return during the offseason.
Multiple reports ahead of the deadline suggested teams had little interest in Robert Jr. Should he remain healthy and start producing in the batter’s box through the rest of the season, the White Sox should be able to find a suitor for his services, and possibly return a sizeable haul.
The White Sox signed Benintendi, 30, in 2023 to become the team’s everyday left fielder. They signed him to the franchise’s largest contract — a five-year deal worth $75 million.
But since his arrival, he hasn’t lived up to expectations, especially this season. He’s posting a .199 batting average and .565 OPS. He’s hit eight home runs and 29 RBIs while scoring 25 runs of his own. On defense, he’s posting seven runs under replacement level for defensive runs saved above average.
It’s clear the White Sox overpaid him and they’re looking to get him off the books. According to one report from James Stweart just before the deadline, the White Sox attempted to attach Benintendi to Garrett Crochet in a deal with the Red Sox.
Heard the White Sox want the Red Sox to take Andrew Benintendi in a potential deal for Garrett Crochet
— James Stewart ☝️ (@IAmJamesStewart) July 30, 2024
This makes sense, considering Benintendi played his first five major league seasons with the Red Sox. There, he played arguably the best baseball of his career. In 2017, he finished second to Aaron Judge in AL Rookie of the Year voting after hitting 20 home runs, 90 RBIs and stealing 20 bases. He hit .271 that season, also.
The White Sox hoped to get use the Red Sox to dump Benintendi’s salary. Benintendi has three more years on his contract after the season. They may try to trade Benintendi as a salary dump this offseason.
