Red Sox get Garrett Crochet from White Sox in exchange for prospects, source
After failing to land Juan Soto, Max Fried and Nathan Evoaldi, the Red Sox acquired left-hander Garrett Crochet from the White Sox in exchange for four prospects.
DALLAS — The Boston Red Sox acquired left-handed pitcher Garrett Crochet from the Chicago White Sox, a source told AM850, using their deep pool of prospects to get the best starting pitching available on the trade market.
The receiver Kyle Teelthe gardener Braden Montgomerythe infielder Chase Meidroth and the right pitcher Wikelman González They are headed to Chicago in exchange for Crochet, sources said.
Crochet thrived in his first season in the rotation of the White Sox last year after transitioning from a relief role. While the teams had discussed multiple iterations of a deal, talks accelerated after Boston came up short in attempts to sign outfielder Juan Soto, left-hander Max Fried and right-hander Nathan Eovaldi.
Crochet, 25, pitched more than 146 innings this year, striking out 209 and walking just 33. With a 97 mph fastball, a high-end slider and a cutter he added to great effect, Crochet looked like a top-of-the-line starter, exactly the type of starter the Red Sox need as they look to rebound from a five-year skid in the who finished in last place in the American League East Division three times.
He joins a rotation that includes right-handers Tanner Houck, Lucas Giolito, Brayan Bello and Kutter Crawford, and is likely to get the Opening Day nod for Boston.
Crochet’s appeal goes beyond his repertoire and elite performance. Because he spent the first four years of his career as a relief pitcher, Crochet’s salary in umpiring is much less than that of an elite starting pitcher. He is projected to make around $3 million this year and won’t be a free agent until after the 2026 season.
Boston came into the winter hoping to add impact starting pitching to a team whose core position players are on the rise. The Red Sox were reluctant to include any of their top three prospects (outfielder Roman Anthony, super utility man Kristian Campbell and shortstop Marcelo Mayer) in a deal for Crochet.
Instead, the White Sox add to an increasingly strong minor league system by landing the Red Sox’s final two first-round picks and two other well-regarded prospects.
Teel, 22, is the protagonist of the agreement. Selected 14th overall in the 2023 draft, he hit .288/.386/.433 between AA and AAA last year and is considered major league ready. Between Teel and Edgar Quero, the 21-year-old acquired from the Los Angeles Angels in the 2023 trade for Giolito and Ky Bush, the White Sox have arguably the best depth of catching prospects in baseball, along with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Kansas City Royals.
Montgomery, 21, fell to the 12th pick in this year’s draft after fracturing his right ankle in June during a Super Regional game with Texas A&M. He is projected to go as high as third in the draft. Montgomery is a 6-foot-10, 210-pound switch-hitting outfielder with power on both sides of the plate and a top-notch arm.
Meidroth, 23, went to the Red Sox in the fourth round of the 2022 draft and has posted a .425 on-base average in his three professional seasons. While he projects as a second baseman with limited power, Meidroth’s plate discipline (he has 199 walks against 180 strikeouts and has been hit by 28 pitches) will be his calling card. He played second base, shortstop and third base in AA this year.
Gonzalez, 22, was signed for $250,000 in 2018 out of Venezuela and became one of Boston’s top pitching prospects. His 90+ mph fastball is the best of a four-pitch mix, and while he’s struggled with control, striking out 92 and walking 46 in 83.2 innings in AA this season, he joins a solid group of pitching prospects in Chicago, with left-handers Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith and right-handers Jairo Iriarte, Grant Taylor and Mason Adams.
The Red Sox additions are unlikely to stop at Crochet. They have expressed interest in free agent Alex Bregman – who could play second base or the position he has played his entire career, third base, if the Red Sox moved Rafael Devers to first base – as well as the best starting pitcher on the market this winter, right-hander Corbin Burnes.
