Breweries are reportedly “getting involved” in Garrett’s crochet market

Yesterday’s reporting suggested that the market for the White Sox is southpaw Garrett Crochet Tensions have begun and the likelihood of an agreement being reached at some point during this week’s winter meetings is increasing. The Yankees, Red Sox, Padres, Cubs and Reds are among the suitors already mentioned, but MLBNetwork’s Jon Morosi added another suitor this morning when he reported that the Brewers are among the teams remaining with Chicago are being discussed in relation to Crochet.

Milwaukee is an interesting suitor for Crochet’s services. While the club typically focuses on internal development and savvy mid- and low-level free agent deals to maintain its status as a perennial contender, the Brewers have added big-name players such as: Willy Adames And Christian Yelich in the past. Adames, of course, just signed with the Giants after turning down a qualifying offer from the club, but Yelich has emerged as a star for the franchise, under contract in Milwaukee through the end of the 2028 season. While Crochet only has two years of team control, as opposed to the three and a half and five years, respectively, that Adames and Yelich had left at the time of their contracts, the Brewers are firmly in the middle of their competitive window and have plenty of reason to be aggressive.

The club has survived the losses of stars like Adames, Corbin BurnesAnd Josh Hader They’ve faced increasing long-term uncertainty in recent years, and with groups of exciting young talent reaching the majors in Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and Chicago, it’s not hard to imagine a scenario in which Milwaukee’s recent dominance over the NL Central comes to an end within the next few years. Adding a player with Crochet’s top to a rotation that is already scheduled Brandon Woodruff And Freddy Peralta This winter could be an opportunity for the Brewers to ensure their competitive window remains open in 2025, and to do so at a relatively affordable financial cost. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz predicts Crochet will make just $2.9 million in his penultimate arbitration hearing this winter. That’s a salary that every club can afford, including the price-conscious Brew Crew.

Of course, trading with Crochet would involve many risks. The southpaw managed just 146 innings in 2024 after two seasons lost to injury and has never shown the ability to handle the full workload of a starter at the MLB level; While he started 32 games in 2024, 17 of those starts lasted less than five innings. Even ignoring these volume and health-related concerns, it can be difficult to trade significant potential capital for a player who is not under the team’s long-term control. While prospects like Jefferson Quero And Jacob Misiorowski could be used to put together an enticing package for Chicago, the Brewers lack high-end talent, other suitors like the Padres (Ethan Salas), Red Sox (Marcelo Mayer) and boys (Matt Shaw) may be able to offer.

Of course, the potential loss of capital on a hypothetical crochet trade could be offset in other ways. The Brewers could pull from the playbook that San Diego ultimately used Juan Soto and add Crochet to their rotation for a year before replacing him next winter. It’s even possible that if Crochet is able to stay healthy and establish himself in a position to handle the workload this year, the club could get a return that would be somewhat comparable to what they gave up of a starter to put together a top season in the big leagues. Alternatively, it’s at least plausible that Milwaukee could explore extension talks with Crochet that would keep him in town longer than his two years as team leader, although it’s unclear whether or not the club would have room on its books for that kind of salary from Crochet could command, as any extension would overlap with the final years of Yelich’s contract.