Red Sox acquire Garrett Crochet in trade with White Sox
BOSTON -- The Boston Red Sox have traded for left-handed starter Garrett Crochet, a move that could potentially give the team an ace to front its rotation. Boston paid a big price for the southpaw, sending four prospects -- including Kyle Teel and Braden Montgomery -- to the Chicago White Sox in return for Crochet.
The four prospects in the trade are all highly touted, as Boston is sending Teel, Montgomery, infielder Chase Meidroth, and right-hander Wikelman Gonzalez to the White Sox in the deal. But after missing out on lefty Max Fried -- who signed a $218 million deal with the New York Yankees on Tuesday -- the Red Sox front office had to do something to get an ace into the mix.
Crochet, 25, should be able to fill that role in Boston after an impressive 2024 campaign for the White Sox. He has just one season as a starter, but the Red Sox are banking on Crochet leading their rotation for years to come.
Who is Garrett Crochet?
Crochet was only 6-12 for a Chicago team that lost 121 games last year, but he had a 3.58 ERA and 1.068 WHIP in his first full season as a starter. He can really rack up strikeouts, fanning 209 batters over 142 innings, and he has some solid control with only 33 walks issued. He was the only All-Star on the White Sox roster in 2024.
Among pitchers with at least 140 inning last year, Crochet led the pack with 12.88 strikeouts per nine innings last season. He has 294 career strikeouts over 219 innings of work overall over his four-year career. The kid has some real filthy stuff on the mound.
There is risk with the move, given Crochet has just one season as a starter under his belt and is a bit unproven. He's also had Tommy John surgery, which sidelined him for the entire 2022 season.
Crochet is under team control for two more seasons, so he'll need a long-term contract sometime soon as well.
Who did Red Sox give up for Garrett Crochet?
Teel and Montgomery are the biggest names leaving the Red Sox organization, ranking fourth and fifth in the Boston farm system, respectively. Teel (the 25th-ranked prospect in all of baseball) was drafted 14th overall in 2023 and quickly rose through the organization, with the catcher making it to Triple-A Worcester last season.
Montgomery, a highly touted outfielder, was drafted 12th overall by Boston in 2024. Meidroth ranked 11th and Gonzalez 14th in the Boston prospect pool.
The Red Sox are certainly giving up a lot in the deal, but now have a potential ace to front their rotation in Crochet.
