The idea of the Los Angeles Dodgers pursuing Garrett Crochet prior to next month's MLB trade deadline isn't necessarily new. On this very space, we've already floated the idea of the team acquiring the Chicago White Sox starter.
Monday evening, though, provided the team with an opportunity to see the potential trade target in person. And he delivered.
Crochet tossed 5.2 innings against the Dodgers, scattering five hits and striking out six. He didn't cede a walk nor allow a run. In short, he was excellent.
Armed with that upper-90s fastball, Crochet was actually throwing harder than his average to date. He averaged 97.9 MPH with the four-seam and 92.1 with the cutter. Each was a full MPH above his season average. Spin rates were up on his changeup & slider as well, though he only threw those pitches each a handful of times.
He had it all working, forcing the Dodgers to a 39 percent whiff rate and a 71 percent groundball rate. Almost immediately upon Crochet's exit, the Dodgers were able to plate their first runs of the game. He left with a 3.05 ERA for the year, with over 12 strikeouts per nine and under two walks. It's a strong output for a guy still in his first full season of starting.
When we last pondered the potential for a Dodgers pursuit of Crochet, they weren't quite in the dire straits from a depth perspective as they now find themselves. Already without Yoshinobu Yamamoto & Walker Buehler, the team announced on Monday that Clayton Kershaw will be shut down for a week due to lingering shoulder soreness.
Essentially what was once a luxury of an idea for the Dodgers could soon manifest as something more of a necessity. If the team decides to travel down such an avenue, they now have some first-hand evidence as to his excellence on the bump.