This Dodgers overpay for Garrett Crochet might be necessary to satisfy White Sox

A quick rundown of Dodgers starters' statuses as of July 1: Tyler Glasnow and Gavin Stone, healthy and pitching well; Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Walker Buehler, on the IL; Bobby Miller and James Paxton, struggling so much fans might be ready to come after them with pitchforks; Landon Knack, too green to make a call yet; Clayton Kershaw, restarting his throwing progression after a setback in his rehab.

So the Dodgers need another starter. They definitely didn't go into the season expecting to need another top-line guy, but things are looking a little dire as we make our way into the second half of the season, and if postseason domination is actually in the cards for this team, an addition to the rotation is paramount at the trade deadline.

Bob Nightengale reported this weekend that the Dodgers already made an offer to the White Sox for lefty ace Garrett Crochet, but they quickly said no. No doubt it was a substantial offer, but it's likely that it was a preliminary feeler to see exactly how much Chicago is actually going to push for. In a seller's market like this one, the Sox would be foolish to make a deal on July 5.

The White Sox want to be blown away with an offer, and the Dodgers do have prospects that could get them there. In a mock trade that will definitely have some fans angry, LA could send catcher/first baseman Diego Cartaya, outfielder Josue De Paula, and lefty pitcher Maddux Bruns in exchange for Crochet.

Dodgers could give up three of their top prospects in the chase for White Sox ace Garrett Crochet

It's probably going to take an overpay like this, especially with the Orioles and their ridiculous farm system also in need of a left-hander.

Bruns, a first-round draft pick for the Dodgers in 2019, might be the easiest name for LA to let go of. He's been doing very well in High-A this season, with a 1.98 ERA over 13 2/3 innings, but he's been out since late May with injury and is still at least a year away from getting his major league debut nod. However, a lefty for a lefty makes sense, and he's projected as a mid-rotation starter or "power reliever," per MLB Pipeline, which is exactly the kind of player the White Sox once managed to turn into Crochet. Just a few years later, he's this deadline's most sought-after name.

Cartaya and De Paula would be much more painful prospects to watch walk. Cartaya has had his ups and downs already in his minor-league career, but he was just promoted to Triple-A and roped an RBI single in his first game there. Even though he's slipped down the Dodgers' prospect rankings this season, there's still a huge amount of upside there. If the White Sox are desperate (and let's be real here, they are), they could fast-track him through Triple-A and have him up in the majors by the end of the season. Anything would probably be better than Martín Maldonado, who's hitting .084 this season as their primary catcher. As Dalton Rushing has emerged, the Dodgers are going to have to face reality. Cartaya (or, hey, maybe Rushing) is probably a trade chip.

De Paula might be even more of a devastating loss. He's younger than Cartaya and was only just promoted to High-A, but he shot up LA's prospect rankings this season after hitting very well in Single-A last year. His 60 hitting grade is higher than any of the White Sox's top 10 position player prospects, and it makes up for where he might lack in defense.

The Dodgers would lose out on three of their most exciting prospects in this proposed deal, but Crochet has two years of team control left after this season and is certifiably one of the best pitchers in baseball with the White Sox, so just imagine what he could do if the Dodgers got their hands on him. All signs point to LA being willing to push in all their chips for him, and a package like this could get it done.