General manager A.J. Preller and the San Diego Padres know very well that they have a lot of work to do in order to remain somewhat close to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West.
It was earlier this season that San Diego pulled off a blockbuster trade with the Miami Marlins for former batting champion Luis Arráez.
With starters Yu Darvish (groin) and Joe Musgrove (elbow) both on the injured list, San Diego could soon turn to its rotation.
According to The Athletic’s Dennis Lin and Ken Rosenthal, the Padres “have recently shown strong interest” in Chicago White Sox lefty starter Garrett Crochet.
It makes sense that teams would call Chicago ahead of the MLB trade deadline. Heading into Tuesday’s MLB action, the White Sox boasted the worst record in MLB at 15-45. The team also showed a willingness to move off players ahead the season, dealing Dylan Cease to the aforementioned Padres.
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San Diego Padres looking for help ahead of MLB trade deadline
By making a move for Arráez earlier this season, Preller and Co. are tipping their hands. They are going to be buyers ahead of the deadline.
The rotation seems to be a pretty big need for a Padres team that’s currently 32-31 on the season and seven games behind Los Angeles in the National League West.
Cease (5-4 record, 3.42 ERA) and Michael King (4-4 record, 3.82 ERA) heads a rotation that’s been pedestrian thus far this season.
Crochet would come in as a nice under-the-radar option. In his first season as a starter, the 24-year-old boasts a 5-5 record with a 3.49 ERA and 0.93 WHIP. He leads the American League in starts (13) and strikeouts (93). The former first-round pick will likely be Chicago’s lone representation in the All-Star Game if he’s not dealt before then.