The Chicago White Sox have traded Garrett Crochet to the Boston Red Sox, according to Julian McWilliams of the Boston Globe and ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
According to McWilliams and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Red Sox are sending catcher Kyle Teel to Chicago in the deal, along with outfielder Braden Montgomery, infielder Chase Meidroth, and right-handed pitcher Wikelman Gonzalez. According to MLB.com, Teel is the Red Sox’s No. 4 prospect. Montgomery is No. 5, Meidroth is No. 11, and Gonzalez is No. 14.
Crochet, a left-hander, just completed his first season as a starter with the White Sox, and despite the team’s abysmal results, Crochet made the most of his opportunities. In 32 starts in 2024, he recorded a 3.58 ERA over 146 innings and recorded 209 strikeouts with just 33 walks. On June 30 against Colorado, he tied his career high with 11 strikeouts.
The 25-year-old Crochet also earned the first All-Star nod of his career in July. In the All-Star Game in Texas, he pitched a scoreless inning for the American League, allowing one hit.
Leading into the deadline, Crochet was positioned to become a significant contributor in the rotation of a contending team. Instead, the White Sox opted to hold on to him for the remainder of the 2024 season. Crochet has two more years of team control and is set to become a free agent after 2026.
And looking at the return, the White Sox were wise to hold on to him. The Red Sox sent a haul to Chicago in exchange for Crochet. Boston is out at least two guys who project to be major leaguers, but in return they’re getting an impact arm to upgrade their rotation. And it does need an upgrade. Tanner Houck was one of the only bright spots in last year’s pitching rotation, as well as the only Red Sox starter to finish the year with an ERA under 4.00.
Crochet will be taking the rotation spot recently occupied by Nick Pivetta, who left in free agency this winter and is still looking for a new team. The other three starting pitchers, Brayan Bello, Cooper Criswell, and Kutter Crawford, are all under contract until at least 2029.
The White Sox, who finished 41-121 for the worst record in MLB history, are deep in the weeds of another rebuild. Landing Kyle Teel, a 22-year-old catcher and designated hitter, is a positive addition to a farm system that desperately needs to produce multiple stars to help the big league team. A mid-ranked prospect according to MLB and Baseball Prospectus, Teel started 2024 in Double-A and was promoted to Triple-A before the end of the season. In 112 games over two levels in 2024 Teel hit .288/.386/.433 with 23 doubles, 13 home runs, 68 walks, and 116 strikeouts.
