Padres reportedly eyeing Garrett Crochet in deadline trade: Who else could White Sox be ready to move?

The Chicago White Sox entered Tuesday with the worst record in Major League Baseball at 15-45, as well as the longest losing streak of the season (active or otherwise) at 11 games. Anytime a team needs 30 straight wins to hit .500, you can be sure they won’t be a major factor in the playoff race. Predictably, the White Sox appear ready to concede the same, even though the Major League Baseball trade deadline on July 30 is more than a month and a half away.

Dennis Lin and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported Tuesday that the White Sox have already had trade discussions with the San Diego Padres regarding left-handed starter Garrett Crochet. The two sides are not believed to be close to a deal — the Padres have a weakened farm system that could make it difficult for them to reach such a deal — but the mere existence of these talks suggests that first-year general manager Chris Getz is open to making big movements.

With that in mind, we here at CBS Sports wanted to provide a buyer’s guide to the White Sox roster. Below, we’ve highlighted who we think are Chicagoo’s five most interesting trade candidates. (Note that these players are presented in alphabetical order.)

1. Crochet LHP Garrett

We mentioned Crochet last week in regards to the Orioles’ pitching needs. As long as he remains healthy by the deadline, he will be a popular target in July. Crochet made a successful transition from the bullpen to the rotation, in part by adding a cutter to an arsenal that already featured a high-octane fastball and a swing-and-miss slider. Through 13 starts this season, he has compiled a 3.49 ERA (116 ERA+) and a 6.20 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Crochet is under team control for two more seasons after this one, but he has a long injury history and represents Chicago’s best chance at returning impactful young talent to its farm system.

Give credit where credit is due: The White Sox seem wise to make a $15 million bet that Fedde’s improvements in South Korea would be transferred back to big business. In his first 12 turns in the rotation, he accumulated a 3.12 ERA (129 ERA+) and a 3.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Fedde also recently scored quality starts against the Orioles and Guardians, two potential American League playoff teams. He is under contract for another season, which makes him more than a rental.

Kopech doesn’t have the brightest ERA (3.86 in 24 starts) in his first season in the bullpen, but he will be an attractive target for a team seeking relief aid. He does most of his work with a high-90s fastball that features a lot of elevation given his launch height. Kopech also has a swing-and-miss slider and a newly created cutter. Any club that believes they can help him reduce his home runs could see him as a multi-year solution in a high-leverage role.

Pham’s inclusion in trade deadline preview material was cemented by the time he signed with the White Sox in mid-April. Although he is currently on the shelf with a sprained ankle, he remains an above-average hitter, capable of impacting the ball and commanding the strike zone. Pham is a negative defender at this point in his career, which could turn off some potential suitors.

Robert is one of baseball’s most exciting players when he’s healthy: a dynamo of speed and power who averaged 33 home runs and 20 stolen bases in 162 career games. Unfortunately, “when healthy” it requires as much work as statistical apportionment. Robert, who returns to the big league team on Tuesday after being sidelined since April with a hip flexor strain, has played in more than 100 games just once in his first five seasons. (To be fair, he appeared in 56 of 60 games during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.) Although Robert is under contract through at least the 2025 season (and potentially through the 2027 season), the White Sox probably should move him before his injury history further diminishes his trade value.