Potential Baltimore Orioles Trade for Garrett Crochet May Require Top Prospect

The Baltimore Orioles will need to act instantly if Corbin Burnes signs with a different ball club this winter.

The safest bet at this point seems to be the front office trading for Garrett Crochet or signing a different starter for a lower price. The Orioles and Crochet have been linked for the better part of the past year, a good indication that their interest is real.

One issue with Crochet is that Baltimore's farm system isn't as strong as it was a few months ago. The Orioles trading for Trevor Rogers at the deadline wasn't the wrong idea, but the package they moved was inexcusable.

It looked bad when it happened, and almost instantly, it became clear how poor of a trade Baltimore's front office made.

That move shouldn't have too big of an impact on trading for Crochet, but it might force them to part ways with prospects they don't want to move. The Orioles still have an above-average farm system, and gutting it for Crochet wouldn't make sense, but at some point, they either have to give guys a chance or trade them.

In a potential Crochet deal, that seems to be a real possibility. Jake Rill of MLB.com looked at Burnes' replacements for Baltimore, highlighting that Coby Mayo or Samuel Basallo might have to be in the deal for an arm like Crochet. He noted that Mayo and Basallo are not only Baltimore's top two prospects, but also among the Top 15 prospects in baseball.

"If the Orioles could keep both and trade for Crochet, the move seems like a no-brainer. Otherwise, they’ll need to consider whether losing Mayo or Basallo is worth it in order to get a new ace."

Basallo and Mayo appear to have a bright future in Major League Baseball. Mayo had a chance at the Big League level in the later stages of last season, getting just four hits in 41 at-bats.

His struggles early in his MLB career could worry teams, but it'd be unfair to judge a 22-year-old in just 41 at-bats, especially since his body of work in the minor league suggests a hitter that can get a team average and power.

Basallo has the tools to be elite, but until he shows it in the show, there are rightful questions about him.

Crochet isn't a guaranteed star by any means, either, given that 2024 was his first campaign as a full-time starter.

Still, they need pitching, and if it means they have to move on from one of them, it seems to be the right thing to do.