The New York Yankees entered MLB games today with an American League-best 52-27 record. They stood 1.5 games ahead of the surging Baltimore Orioles in the American League East.
For New York, there doesn’t seem to be a ton of holes as the team continues to dominate opponents.
However, the Pinstripes have been linked to starting pitchers a whole lot leading up to the MLB trade deadline later this summer.
It makes sense with Gerrit Cole having just returned from a season-long injury. That’s especially true with Clarke Schmidt currently on the 60-day injured list.
Per this note from MLB insider Jon Heyman, the Yankees are one of several teams showing interest in Chicago White Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet.
“Every contending team has interest in the reliever-turned-starter, and though he’s already flown past his previous innings high, teams love the arm and potential (the Yankees are among them),” report on New York Yankees interest in Crochet.
Crochet, 25, has been one of the few positives for an otherwise historically bad White Sox team. He’s pitched to a 6-6 record with a 3.25 ERA and 0.95 WHIP in 16 starts this season. He also leads the American League with 124 strikeouts. This represents the first season as a starter for the former first-round pick.
Related: Updated New York Yankees rumors
Why Garrett Crochet makes sense for the New York Yankees
Crochet is under team control through the 2026 season. He’s earning a mere $800,000 this season and is arbitration eligible each of the next two offseasons. From a financial standpoint, he’d come pretty cheap. He also wouldn’t be a rental.
Even without Cole in the mix until recently, New York’s rotation has been stellar.
- Nestor Cortes: 4-5 record, 3.36 ERA, 1.10 WHIP
- Marcus Stroman: 7-3 record, 3.15 ERA, 1.26 WHIP
- Carlos Rodon: 9-4 record, 3.86 ERA, 1.21 WHIP
- Luis Gil: 9-2 record, 2.77 ERA, 1.08 WHIP
A move of this ilk would likely see Cortes become a long man in the bullpen, creating one of the best pitching staffs in baseball.
Of course, it wouldn’t come cheap as it relates to prospects heading back to Chicago. The Yankees are likely looking at having to move two top-10 prospects to pry Crochet from the ‘Sox.