Mully & Haugh: Is trading or keeping Garrett Crochet a bigger risk for White Sox?

(670 The Score) As the MLB trade deadline looms on July 30, a crucial decision awaits the White Sox as it pertains to left-hander Garrett Crochet’s future.

Should they trade him for a haul of prospects or retain him? On Tuesday morning, the Mully & Haugh Show debated which side of that equation carries more risk. From a long-term organizational perspective, is it riskier to part with the 25-year-old Crochet for promising-but-unproven prospects or is it riskier to let go of someone who has showcased he has ace-level talent as he just now enters the beginning of his prime?

“He looks like one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball, one of the best starting pitchers in the game,” Score morning host David Haugh said. “I think because of that and the potential we’ve seen him flash in the first half of the season, trading him represents monumental risk for the White Sox. They are in the midst of a rebuild. They do need prospects. They do need talent.

“But you trade, you risk watching him flourish and develop into Chris Sale, Randy Johnson, the guys to who he compares himself.

“You can’t get better and maintain any semblance of credibility (by trading him). You can’t do this to your fan base again – trade somebody to watch him win a Cy Young for another team? No.

“He’s worth keeping. He’s worth building around.”

Crochet has been one of the most dominant pitchers in MLB in 2024, leading everyone with 146 strikeouts while posting a 3.08 ERA and 0.97 WHIP in 105 1/3 innings across 19 starts. For his stellar performance in his first season as a big league starter, Crochet was recently rewarded with his first All-Star honor.

Crochet is under contract control through the 2026 season.