Garrett Crochet's surprising trade deadline demand could change LA's plans

Garrett Crochet has long seemed like a must-get for the Dodgers at the trade deadline, given how reportedly aggressive they've been with the White Sox for a deal. The Dodgers, Padres, Orioles, and Phillies are just a few of the teams that have been expected to throw whatever it takes at Chicago to grab the most coveted lefty starter of the year, but LA has been there from the very start.

The Dodgers have gone as far as to reportedly discuss a blockbuster with the White Sox that would include Crochet, Luis Robert Jr., and Michael Kopech, which would be an immediate balm to three of LA's most pressing issues.

However, the newest update on Crochet might give LA some pause about how likely a deal is to actually work out. Jon Heyman reported on Thursday that Crochet "would need an extension to pitch in October."

Crochet refusing to pitch in the postseason without an extension is certainly a bombshell, and for the Dodgers, it's more a question of risk than it is a question of whether they can afford it. The Dodgers have deep pockets — they spent $1.4 billion this offseason — but Crochet would come with a few key concerns that could have them backing down.

Will Garrett Crochet's insistence for an extension, if traded, make the Dodgers think twice about a deal with the White Sox?

Crochet has two more years of arbitration eligibility left, which is part of what will make him so hard to secure. It should've been a major plus for any team that got him, as it would've meant two more years of being able to pay him well under what he might get as a free agent. However, an extension would completely throw that kind of upside out the window.

Extending Crochet would mean pledging a lot of money and presumably extra years to a pitcher who only threw 12 2/3 innings last season due to injury, and who just moved into a starting role this season. The Dodgers would love Crochet as their go-to lefty starter through the rest of the season and need him to pitch in October, but with this new demand, they would have to take on a relatively unknown quantity for years to come.

Money is no object to the Dodgers, but there is the question of practicality. If LA decides that it would be too impractical to make that kind of promise to Crochet, talks between them and the White Sox are sure to die. Maybe they need to start making a bigger push for Jack Flaherty. While not a lefty, he'll be easier to get and doesn't have the same kind of leverage to ask for as much as Crochet.