The White Sox have finalized a trade that will send left-handed pitcher Garrett Crochet to the Red Sox, as first reported by Julian McWilliams of the Boston Globe. The deal includes catcher Kyle Teel, outfielder Braden Montgomery, infielder Chase Meidroth and right-hander Wikelman Gonzalez, all of whom rank inside Boston’s top 15 prospects according to MLB.com.
Crochet, 25, missed the entire 2022 season due to Tommy John surgery and made just 13 appearances in 2023. Finally healthy in 2024, the left-hander completed his first full season as a starter and quickly established himself as one of the best pitchers in the game. Crochet’s strong first half notched All-Star honors after he led all of Major League Baseball in strikeouts (150), K/9 (12.6), and fWAR (3.9). The former 11th overall pick finished the season with a 3.58 ERA, 209 strikeouts, 2.69 FIP, and 1.068 WHIP over a career-high 146 innings thrown.
The White Sox entered the Winter Meetings with Crochet, who is projected to earn $2.9 million in arbitration, under team control through the 2026 season. While some previously wondered about an extension with the White Sox, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported on June 30 that the organization had “no optimism” regarding a long-term deal. With that option firmly in the rearview, Crochet is now departing and new talent is incoming as part of yet another rebuild.
Teel, 22, headlines the deal as the top prospect coming back. He is a left-handed hitting catcher who ranks No. 4 in Boston’s system, No. 25 in baseball, and the No. 3 catcher overall according to MLB Pipeline. Teel spent the majority of 2024 with the team’s Double-A affiliate where he hit .298/.390/.462 with 11 home runs and 60 RBI over 84 games. He earned a promotion to Triple-A in August, where he’ll likely begin the 2025 season.
Redsox got so many interesting pieces Kyle Teel would fill the catcher void pic.twitter.com/1UMrdYlDyJ
— Giannis Auntiegotapoodle (@TooMuchMortons_) December 11, 2024
Over his two minor league seasons, Teel has slashed a combined .301/.404/.444 with 15 homers and 100 RBI. He was selected 14th overall by the Red Sox in the 2023 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Virginia, where he earned First-Team All-America honors as a junior in his final collegiate campaign.
Montgomery, 21, is right behind Teel as the No. 5 player in Boston’s system and No. 54 prospect overall. Drafted 12th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft out of Texas A&M, Montgomery profiles as a right fielder with a plus-plus arm and plus power as a switch-hitter that plays to all parts of the ballpark.
Braden Montgomery to the Southside.
The White Sox just got one of my very favorite college players.pic.twitter.com/5pjHTLnHro
— Shawn Spradling (@Shawn_Spradling) December 11, 2024
Meidroth, 23, spent all of 2024 with the Red Sox’s Triple-A affiliate and put up solid numbers at the plate. The team’s No. 11 prospect slashed .293/.437/.400 with seven home runs, 57 RBI, and a 132 wRC+ over 558 plate appearances. His 105 walks led all MiLB players, and his .437 on-base percentage ranked third. Meidroth appeared in 51 games at shortstop, 35 at third base and 19 at second, showing off his versatility that could lead to him earning an Opening Day roster spot.
Chase Meidroth was impressive for the WooSox during the 2024 campaign.
In 122 games, Meidroth posted a .293 batting average and drove in 57 runs. He also drew a career-high 105 walks.
— Jamie Gatlin (@JamieGatlin17) December 11, 2024
Gonzalez, 22, is the lone pitcher of the deal and the No. 14 prospect in Boston’s system. In five minor league seasons, he’s posted a 3.97 ERA over 392.1 innings thrown. He is a volatile arm, posting both high strikeout and high walk rates throughout his career. He spent most of the 2024 season as a starting pitcher, though with five relief appearances, it’s likely that the White Sox will test him out of the bullpen to try and maximize his talent.
Wikelman Gonzalez struck out 9 batters across 6.0 scoreless frames in his Double-A debut! pic.twitter.com/yrYqM2XGqX
— Red Sox Player Development (@RedSoxPlayerDev) July 17, 2023
Overall, this is the sort of value package that Chris Getz had to get for a player of Crochet’s value. Teel (No. 25) and Montgomery (No. 58) both ranked among Baseball America’s top 100 prospects, and both Meidroth and Gonzalez have tools that could project them as complementary pieces in the future.
We all know from experience that we can’t get too excited about prospects before they become regulars at the major league level, but for now, this value matches what would be expected of Crochet on paper. It will now be up to the White Sox to do what they couldn’t do last time: develop their talent into impactful major leaguers for a sustained period.
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Featured Photo: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports
