Throughout the season the CBS Sports MLB experts will bring you a weekly Batting Around roundtable breaking down pretty much anything. The latest news, a historical question, thoughts about the future of baseball, all sorts of stuff. Last week we tackled a series of questions at the season's midpoint. Today we're going to discuss one of the top trade candidates.
Where will Garrett Crochet be after the trade deadline?
R.J. Anderson: The Orioles strike me as an obvious suitor who could get a deal done if they wanted to do so. I write that because they have the prospect depth to make a move without harming their long-term interests, and Crochet would fit in nicely with his years of control and high-octane arsenal. The only real question is … well, do they trust him to hold up? That isn't an insult to Crochet, it's just a reality for someone who hasn't yet cleared the 200-inning threshold in his big-league career.
Dayn Perry: I'll guess the Dodgers. Their current injury situation means they need rotation help right now. That said, they also have depth when healthy, and their comfortable lead in the division means they can perhaps ease back on Crochet's workload. He's never approached this kind of innings count before, and it's an open question as to whether he'll remain healthy and effective as the outings climb. The Dodgers don't mind swinging upside over certainty as they eye a deep run in October, and Crochet seems to fit that mold.
Matt Snyder: I'll go with the Orioles. I'm still worried that Mike Elias is a bit too much of a prospect hugger, but he can also probably really take advantage of Chris Getz here in dealing from a position of strength with incredible minor-league depth. The deal for Corbin Burnes actually ended up helping the Brewers but really did very little damage to the Orioles' juggernaut farm system. It feels like something similar could happen here and the Orioles need the rotation depth.
Mike Axisa: I'm going to say the Astros. They've climbed back into the AL West race and need another starter. It's tough to count on Crochet to start the rest of the season is given his workload -- he's already 36 1/3 innings over his previous career high -- but not impossible, and there is the fallback plan of putting him in the bullpen later this year (a role he is familiar with). And you get him the next two seasons as well. Houston's farm system isn't great, though they can start a package with 2023 first-round pick Brice Matthews, who's in Double-A and has performed well this season. I would put my money on the Orioles. For the sake of roundtable variety, I'll say the Astros find a way to get it done.
