The New York Yankees are going to have to pay a pretty penny to land premium talent at the deadline, which isn’t a surprise at all, but they might end up going big-name fishing. Garrett Crochet of the Chicago White Sox was just named to his first-ever All-Star team as he’s been one of the most dominant starters in the American League, and his price tag is understandably very high. Bob Nightengale of USA Today is reporting that Chicago is “insistent” on having Spencer Jones in any sort of package for the stud pitcher, which isn’t surprising but could indicate that the Yankees are kicking tires there.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post previously reported that the Yankees coveted the young left-hander, and he could be a huge addition to this rotation if they’re able to land him.
Yankees Would Have to Deal Spencer Jones to Land Garrett Crochet
Spencer Jones has had a bumpy season in Double-A, and while he’s still relatively green for most prospects his age, there are some concerns about the swing-and-miss rates. The 6’6 outfielder has a 104 wRC+ and 10 home runs in 73 Double-A games, but that’s come with an alarming 37.1% strikeout rate, which is even higher than it was last season. Jones is still getting used to the tougher competition in the Eastern League, but if the Chicago White Sox see something they love, the Yankees might not have a choice here.
Garrett Crochet has all of the makings of an ace, the kind of pitcher who can tip the scale in a postseason setting thanks to his dominant fastball-cutter combination. Through 20 starts, the left-hander has a 3.02 ERA and 35.2% strikeout rate, bringing the exact kind of whiff potential that the Yankees sorely need. He wouldn’t come over to be a reliever either, he would be one of the Yankees’ top starters and rightfully so given his elite-level production throughout the season.
The underlying metrics for Crochet suggest he should only get better. While being a two-pitch pitcher is often considered not great for your ability to pitch deep into games, his stuff is so electric it rarely matters. he only gets better the deeper he pitches into games, and there’s the potential to form the most lethal top three in baseball with Gerrit Cole, Garrett Crochet, and Luis Gil.
We’ll see if there’s any traction on a potential deal, but it seems the Chicago White Sox really like Spencer Jones based on their insistence.