Garrett Crochet Trade: Scouting Reports On Every Red Sox Prospect Headed To White Sox


Image credit: Garrett Crochet (Photo by Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
As the Winter Meetings neared their conclusion, the Red Sox reportedly swung a deal with the White Sox to acquire lefthanded fireballer Garrett Crochet and place him atop their rotation. The move answers the one the rival Yankees made a day earlier when they signed former Braves lefty Max Fried to a long-term deal.
In return, the White Sox buttressed their farm system with a package of prospects that included the team’s last two first-rounders—catcher Kyle Teel and outfielder Braden Montgomery—as well as infielder Chase Meidroth and righthander Wikelman Gonzalez, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal.
Crochet will jump to the front of a rotation that also includes Tanner Houck, Brayan Bello and Kutter Crawford and could also add Lucas Giolito this season after he finishes recovering from Tommy John surgery. Crochet will not be a free agent until 2027.
RED SOX RECEIVE
Garrett Crochet, LHP
Age: 25
After making his big league debut in 2020, Crochet returned in 2021 and spent the entire year in the bullpen. He missed 2022 while recovering from Tommy John surgery, then transitioned into the rotation in 2024. He made 32 starts, struck out 209 hitters—good for seventh-most in the sport—and made the American League all-star team.
WHITE SOX RECEIVE
Kyle Teel, C
Age: 22
Teel was Boston’s first-round selection in 2023 out of Virginia. The 14th overall pick jumped directly to High-A in his first pro test and reached Triple-A by the end of the 2024 season. He ranked as Boston’s No. 4 prospect. The lefty swinger can shoot balls from line to line and produces plenty of premium exit velocities. He spent his first full season as a pro adapting to the one-knee-down set up and as a result was an inconsistent framer and blocker. He could be an average catcher with further reps and has above-average arm strength. Now, he’ll battle it out with current White Sox prospect Edgar Quero for the role of Chicago’s catcher of the future.
Braden Montgomery, OF
Age: 21
By acquiring Montgomery and Teel, the White Sox now have Boston’s last two first-round picks. Montgomery started his college career at Stanford before transferring to Texas A&M for his draft year. The former two-way talent shifted solely into the batter’s box with the Aggies, and helped lead them to the College World Series. His season ended early when he fractured his ankle during the run-up to the CWS. In his final season in college station, Montgomery showed sound swing decisions but still produced high miss and zone-miss rates. Still, he did a good job hammering balls when he made contact and should be a threat to club plenty of home runs once he makes his official pro debut. The switch-hitting Montgomery was far more productive from the left side. He’s likely a corner outfielder, and the arm strength that allowed him to throw 96 mph off the mound should translate nicely to right field. He has a future as a power-over-hit outfielder.
Chase Meidroth, SS
Age: 23
Meidroth was the Red Sox’s fourth-round pick in 2022 out of the University of San Diego. He did a great job staying within the strike zone and finished the year with a chase rate of just 17%. In fact, he didn’t take the bat off his shoulders much at all, with an overall swing rate of just 30%. Those bat-to-ball skills should translate to the big leagues and give him a future as an above-average hitter, albeit with below-average power. Meidroth moved around the infield at Triple-A Worcester and should be capable of handling second or third base and even manning shortstop in a pinch. Moving from Boston to Chicago should give him a much clearer path to the big leagues, and he could get there in 2025.
Wikelman Gonzalez, RHP
Age: 22
Gonzalez signed out of Venezuela in 2018 and has steadily matriculated through the minor leagues, sometimes with inconsistent results and dominant second halves. The righthander’s fastball presents a puzzling combination of mid-90s velocity, riding life through the zone and deception created by a lower release height. He backs the fastball with a cutter designed to avoid barrels and a splitter that dives beneath them. Gonzalez shows a sound feel for spin but hasn’t yet developed an average breaking pitch. His slider is the closest, checking in as a fringe-average offering.