Pitcher injuries are a near-daily occurrence in MLB, and the Orioles are the latest team to suffer such problems. Baltimore lost both John Means and Tyler Wells to UCL injuries a few weeks ago, and now one of their other starting pitchers, Kyle Bradish, also has a UCL injury. The Orioles need reinforcements in their rotation, and given the season the White Sox are having, they could be a logical trade partner with Baltimore sooner rather than later.
Right now is not the first instance in which Baltimore trading for a White Sox pitcher has made sense on paper. Bradish’s injury issues date back months, and it was at least plausible that they could have been a landing spot for Dylan Cease before his eventual trade to the Padres.
The Orioles ultimately did not land Cease, but that has not mattered much. They enter the day with a record of 46-24, just three games behind the Yankees in the AL East. Despite their strong season, the Orioles’ injury issues are mounting. After free agent-to-be ace Corbin Burnes, the Orioles’ remaining starters are either young and relatively unproven arms like Grayson Rodriguez and Cade Povich or veterans who do not move the needle that much in a playoff series like Cole Irvin, Dean Kremer, and Albert Suarez. They desperately need another pitcher they can feel comfortable handing the ball to in a playoff series. The White Sox can provide that.
Garrett Crochet has been one of the best pitchers in baseball this year and is under contract for the next two and a half seasons at a bargain salary. From a pure roster standpoint, he is the perfect fit for the Orioles. However, he will be on an innings limit down the stretch, and acquiring him would take a massive prospect haul. Considering Baltimore did not agree to a deal for the far more durable and accomplished pitcher in Cease, it seems unlikely they will offer up the prospect package needed to pry away Crochet.
For multiple reasons, Erick Fedde is the likelier acquisition on paper for a team like the Orioles. For one, he does not have Crochet’s potential innings limitations. He will also be cheaper to acquire in terms of prospect cost and is under contract for next season at an affordable $7.5 million price point. His team control and affordable salary are significant factors for a team like Baltimore that typically spends little money on free-agent pitchers.
While Crochet and Fedde are the two best pitchers the White Sox have to offer, it does not end there. Chris Flexen could make sense for Baltimore as a depth arm, and any of Steven Wilson, John Brebbia, or Michael Kopech could also make sense for them to beef up their bullpen for the stretch run. There are many potential combinations of pitching the White Sox can offer that would likely pique Baltimore’s interest.
From the White Sox perspective, Baltimore is a very appealing trade partner. The White Sox desperately need to infuse hitting into the organization, and the Orioles have that in their farm system. Outfielder Heston Kjerstad and infielder Coby Mayo are the main prizes for their position prospects who could be available. Baltimore also has infielder Connor Norby and outfielders Dylan Beavers and Enrique Bradfield Jr. who could be part of a potential trade package. Any of those players would be significant additions to the White Sox crop of position player talent coming up through the minors.
While the Orioles and White Sox could not agree on a trade for Dylan Cease a few months ago, circumstances have changed. Baltimore is in the thick of the race and needs pitching reinforcements badly. The two teams are logical trading partners, and this possibility is worth keeping an eye on over the next month and a half or so.
