The Red Sox have acquired hard-throwing left-handed beginning pitcher Garrett Crochet in a commerce with the Chicago White Sox, the groups introduced Wednesday. The return for the White Sox is catcher Kyle Teel, outfielder Braden Montgomery, infielder Chase Meidroth and right-handed pitcher Wikelman Gonzalez.
Crochet, 25, is coming off a standout 2024 season for the White Sox – one wherein he pitched as a member of a big-league rotation for the primary time. In 2024, Crochet made 32 begins and pitched to a 3.58 ERA/115 ERA+ with an much more promising FIP of two.69. Most impressively, he struck out 209 batters towards 33 unintentional walks in 146 innings. While he did not work a qualifying variety of innings, Crochet led all common beginning pitchers with a strikeout price of 35.1%. His fastball, which he threw greater than half the time, averaged 97.2 mph – a sky-scraping determine for any pitcher, not to mention a starter. Earlier within the offseason, CBS Sports ranked Crochet as one of many main commerce candidates of the winter.
While Crochet’s sturdiness and capability to deal with a heavier workload are left to query, there is not any doubting his potential to dominate, significantly on the swing-and-miss degree. Crochet is not slated at no cost company till after the 2026 season, so he’ll be going to the Red Sox with two remaining years of group management. He’s arbitration-eligible for 2025, which can imply a considerable soar over the $800,000 wage he made in 2024.
The Red Sox have been reportedly aggressive all through the offseason with massive targets, however earlier than this deal have whiffed. They have been in on each Juan Soto and Max Fried till the tip, for instance, earlier than dropping out the Mets and Yankees, respectively.
Crochet now provides the Red Sox one left-hander and has the makings of the ace of the employees. If he throws like he is succesful, the Boston rotation proper now may look one thing like this:
Remember that Lucas Giolito will return sooner or later from Tommy John surgical procedure and it is all the time doable they add one other starter from exterior the group.
The Red Sox went 81-81, however needs to be aggressive in persevering with to construct round a gifted core.
As for the White Sox, Crochet’s exit is a part of an ongoing deep rebuild on the South Side of Chicago – one which led to them dropping a modern-record 121 video games through the 2024 season.
Teel was the Red Sox’s first-round decide in 2023 out of the University of Virginia. He rose to Triple-A final season, getting in 28 video games of motion there. In his 112 video games between Double-A and Triple-A final 12 months, he hit .288/.386/.433 with 23 doubles, 13 dwelling runs, 78 RBI, 88 runs and 12 stolen bases. He performed some outfield in school however has been a main catcher within the professionals.
Montgomery, 21, was the Red Sox’s first-rounder this previous 12 months out of Texas A&M. He did not get a style {of professional} ball after the draft, as he broke his ankle through the NCAA match. As a junior in school, he hit .322/.454/.733 with 27 homers in 61 video games.
Meidroth was a fourth-round decide in 2022. He performed all season with Triple-A Worcester final season, seeing time at second base, third base and shortstop. In 122 video games, the table-setter hit .293/.437/.401 with 13 stolen bases and 87 runs.
Gonzalez, 22, began 19 video games and got here in aid 5 instances in Double-A final season, pitching to a 4.73 ERA and 1.26 WHIP with 92 strikeouts towards 46 walks in 83 ⅔ innings.
