The Chicago White Sox traded Garrett Crochet to the Boston Red Sox for four prospects, including Kyle Teel.
The Boston Red Sox entered the offseason needing starting pitching. Boston had three swings and misses with free agent pitchers Blake Snell, Max Fried, and Nathan Eovaldi. Fortunately, Boston followed this up with a home run of a trade with the Chicago White Sox. The cost for SP Garrett Crochet was steep, but in the end, it is swap of Sox that benefits both sides. Dare I say, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas? The Red Sox got SP Garrett Crochet, a front of the rotation starter, and likely their Opening Day pitcher. The White Sox got four young prospects, highlighted by MLB ready catcher Kyle Teel.
Red Sox Gains
Crochet has a strong resume, and after Chicago failed to move him at the deadline, it seemed inevitable he would be moved in the offseason. Last season, Crochet threw 146 innings with a 3.58 ERA and 209 strikeouts. Crochet is only 25, and last season was his first as a starter, which means he should continue to improve. He is a tall strikeout master, much like another White Sox turned Red whose name rhymes with Tris Kale. His record of 6-12 should certainly improve in Boston. It remains to be seen how competitive Boston will be, but they will certainly be better than the 41-121 White Sox.
There are two concerns in a deal involving Crochet. The first is the 146 innings he threw last year were the most of his career. Crochet made his debut in 2020 and each year he’s thrown six innings, 54.1, zero (missed the season because of Tommy John surgery), and 12.2. Boston saw what happens when new starters get run down during the season last year. SPs Tanner Houck and Kutter Crawford being Exhibits 1A and 1B. The second concern could be his contract situation. Crochet’s desire for a contract extension was a factor in not moving at the deadline. He is under team control through 2026 but will only make $2.9 million in 2025. That is good news for the front office, but if a deal is not made, a disgruntled player is never an ideal clubhouse presence.
White Sox Gains
Last year, C Kyle Teel was a part of the Big Three prospects for Boston. Teel, OF Roman Anthony, and SS Marcelo Mayer were seen as untouchable as the top shelf is for me. However, the rise of 2B Kristian Campbell meant one of the others could be expendable. Thus, Teel, as the most MLB ready prospect, became the headliner in the Crochet deal. Boston kept their top three prospects but gave up numbers four and five in Teel and OF Braden Montgomery. Montgomery is a switch-hitting power bat with a cannon of an arm. He only fell to the Red Sox at #12 in the draft last year because of a broken ankle.
The other two prospects the White Sox got were INF Chase Meidroth and SP Wikelman Gonzalez. Meidroth’s plate discipline could have made him the second coming of 3B Kevin Youkilis in Boston. Instead, the Greek God of Walks Part II is heading to Chicago’s farm system. He spent last season in Triple-A where he also demonstrated his defensive versatility, playing at second, third, and shortstop. Gonzalez signed with Boston out of Venezuela in 2018 and has MLB starter potential if he can get his control issues addressed. Since he is only 22, there is time for him to continue to develop in the minors. The White Sox have no reason to rush him either because their MLB roster is not in win-now mode, and they have pitching depth in the minors too.
The Big Questions
Even after this blockbuster move, Boston and Chicago have questions remaining. For Boston, is this the beginning of an aggressive offseason aimed at a return to contention? Or is it a trade to quiet the masses before another pretend contend season? In the offseason, Boston has lost OF Tyler O’Neill but acquired Crochet and RP Aroldis Chapman. I for one like the Crochet deal more than the Chapman deal. I preferred seeing 3B Rafael Devers belting home runs off of a pinstriped Chapman.
In Chicago, the question is much like the limbo. How low can they go? Crochet went to the All-Star Game as the only White Sox representative. 2025 should be interesting for the franchise. The other question for the White Sox is, which prospects will pan out? Is Teel the real deal, or perhaps a steal? Will Braden Montgomery get hotter than a Montgomery, Alabama summer sidewalk?
In the 2016 SP Chris Sale trade between these two teams, there was a clear winner. Boston got an ace and won the 2018 World Series. The White Sox got four prospects in that trade too. Unfortunately, none of them became what they were hyped up to be, especially in the case of 3B Yoan Moncada. Will this trade be different? Only time will tell. In my opinion, I agree with the Dave Dombrowski method. Proven players are always worth prospects in a game as fickle as baseball.
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