DALLAS — The Boston Red Sox completed a trade with the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday, acquiring left-handed pitcher Garrett Crochet in exchange for four prospects. This arrangement offers the White Sox a more advantageous deal for the All-Star pitcher than what was available during the previous trade deadline in July.
For Boston, this move comes as they continue to bolster their pitching staff, especially following the loss of free agent lefty Max Fried to their rivals, the New York Yankees.
Craig Breslow, the chief baseball officer for the Red Sox, expressed optimism regarding the team’s acquisition, stating, “We feel like we got a legitimate No. 1 starter in Garrett, who is left-handed and brings a significant strikeout ability to the rotation. We believe there’s still much more to come from him. His addition not only enhances depth but also elevates the quality of our lineup.”
In return, the Chicago White Sox gained catcher Kyle Teel, infielder Chase Meidroth, right-hander Wikelman Gonzalez, and outfielder Braden Montgomery as part of the transaction announced at the winter meetings.
Crochet finished the 2023 season with a 6-12 record and a 3.58 ERA over 32 starts amidst a challenging season for the White Sox, culminating in a disappointing 41-121 record, the worst for any team since 1900. At just 25 years old, he made an impressive entrance as an AL All-Star in his debut season as a starter.
White Sox general manager Chris Getz praised Crochet’s season performance, noting, “What he did this past season was outstanding, but we had to think about the long-term health of our organization. Infusing the kind of talent we received in this trade is really exciting for us.”
Getz revealed that Crochet was highly sought after, with around five teams expressing strong interest. The Red Sox had inquired about him during the summer, and discussions reportedly intensified the preceding night. Getz acknowledged that the Red Sox exhibited a clear motivation to secure a deal, stating, “We felt it was crucial to achieve something that benefited both clubs.”
This trade announcement followed closely on the heels of Fried agreeing to an impressive $218 million, eight-year contract with the Yankees, marking a historic record for left-handed pitchers.
Breslow commented on the ongoing need to improve Boston’s rotation, stating, “We recognized the necessity to enhance our lineup and realized that focusing solely on one avenue may have blinded us to other opportunities. There are still many strong players and pitching talents available in the free agent market, and discussions for potential trades continue on our end.”
Prior to the trade, the Red Sox had a projected rotation including Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford, Brayan Bello, Garrett Whitlock, and Lucas Giolito. Among the notable free agents remaining is Corbin Burnes, a four-time All-Star who had an outstanding season with a 15-9 record and a 2.92 ERA across 32 starts for the Orioles in his only year there.
Crochet is currently under an $800,000 contract and will be eligible for arbitration soon. He can become a free agent after the completion of the 2027 World Series. Drafted 11th overall by the Chicago White Sox in the 2020 amateur draft, Crochet made his major league debut in September of that year. He boasted a 2.82 ERA in his rookie 2021 season, racking up 65 strikeouts in 54 1/3 innings. However, he underwent Tommy John surgery in April 2022 and made his comeback to the majors only on May 18, 2023.
This season, Crochet’s sinker averaged 97.9 mph, while his four-seam fastball sat at 97.2 mph. His pitching repertoire also includes a cutter, a sweeper, and a changeup.
For Boston, the prospects they traded are notably recognized as strong additions, with Teel ranked as their No. 4 prospect, Meidroth at No. 11, Gonzalez ranked No. 14, and Montgomery at No. 54 according to MLB.com.
Getz reflected on this trade as a significant step towards accelerating the White Sox’s rebuilding process, declaring, “This trade exemplifies our effort to quickly revamp our organization.”
This trade echoes a previous transaction made between the two organizations during the 2016 winter meetings when the White Sox traded Chris Sale to the Red Sox in exchange for a substantial package of prospects.
Sale, who was a standout pitcher this season, securing the NL Cy Young Award with an 18-3 record and leading the NL with 225 strikeouts, was eventually traded to Atlanta last December after facing significant injuries during his time with the Red Sox.
The prospects involved in that deal back in 2016 included players like current Dodgers reliever Michael Kopech and infielder Yoán Moncada, who is now a free agent following a stint with the White Sox.
