Red Sox are betting on Garrett Crochet

The Boston Red Sox finally got their star left-handed hitter.

After missing out on Juan Soto and Max Fried, Boston made a big play on Wednesday, acquiring top left-hander Garrett Crochet from the Chicago White Sox in a five-player deal. The deal is not without risk, as Crochet has a lengthy injury history and has thrown far more innings than he ever has in 2024.

In exchange for their new No. 1 starter, the Red Sox gave up two top-100 prospects but were able to retain their top three prospects.

Here are our grades. All potential rankings are based on MLB Pipeline.

Boston gets: LHP Garrett Crochet

Let’s start with the good. Boston now has a true No. 1 starter. Crochet, a former first-round pick, had a big breakout in 2024. He went 6-12 for the historically poor White Sox with a 3.58 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 209 strikeouts with 33 walks in 146 innings. The 25-year-old is still under the team’s control through 2026 and, after spending his first four MLB seasons as a reserve player, is only expected to make about $3 million in arbitration in 2025. Given the current price of entry-level elite pitching this winter, that’s a bargain.

Crochet combines a 97 mph fastball with an elite slider that became one of the best one-two punches in baseball in 2024. He was on a truly terrible White Sox team with an absolute worst defense in the league and his expected ERA (2.85) and his expected batting average (.204) were both well below the actual numbers. His Statcast page is full of red (that’s good), including his xERA, xBA, fastball run value, chase percentage, whiff percentage, strikeout percentage, and extension, all of which are above the 90th percentile .

Now I’m getting to the bad stuff. Before 2024, it was 65, when Crochet had pitched the most innings in a season during his second year at the University of Tennessee. He pitched 54 1/3 out of the bullpen for the White Sox in 1921, but logged only 25 innings between the minors and majors in 1923. His workload of 146 innings that year was a huge jump for a man who had struggled with arm soreness in college, then underwent Tommy John surgery before the ’22 season and suffered a shoulder injury in 1923.

While Crochet shouldered a relatively large load last season, the White Sox continued to protect him after the All-Star break. After his first appearance at the Midsummer Classic, Crochet pitched just 38 2/3 innings the rest of the way. In addition, his representatives made it clear that if he were to move to a competitor, he would not be eligible for a contract extension until the offseason. It’s safe to assume they’ll want to talk to the Red Sox about an extension immediately, which is positive for both parties considering what Boston communicated to get this deal done.

Crochet is a high-end talent and its potential is almost limitless. But this deal carries a lot of risk considering how much capital was needed to win it. If he stays healthy and signs long-term, you can change the grade to A+. If not, it’s a complete failure. We’re going for a B+ because Boston is operating from a strong position in terms of prospects.

Chicago gets: C Kyle Teel, OF Braden Montgomery, IF Chase Meidroth, RHP Wikelman Gonzalez

The White Sox lost 121 games in 2024, so they eventually had to move Crochet and start a rebuild. They were unable to get a deal done before the trade deadline, and it appears their wait was worth it.

Chicago receives two top-100 prospects from MLB Pipeline’s top 100, who were also Boston’s last two first-round picks.

Catcher Kyle Teel (No. 25 in the rankings) is the headliner. The 22-year-old catcher, the fourth-best prospect in the Boston system, reached Triple-A in 2024 and hit .288/.386/.433 with 13 homers and 78 RBIs at two levels. The Red Sox named him the 2023 ACC Player of the Year at Virginia and selected him 14th overall that year. He has a plus arm behind the plate and is a good pitch framer. He’s a backstop the White Sox can build around and shouldn’t be in the minors much longer.

Braden Montgomery (No. 54) was Boston’s first-round pick this year, going 12th. The 21-year-old outfielder hit 21 home runs as a junior for Texas A&M, skyrocketing up draft boards. At 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds, he has a big arm and decent speed, and his power is his calling card at the plate. There’s a lot of talent here.

Infielder Chase Meidroth was Boston’s 11th overall prospect and is close to the big leagues. A fourth-round pick in 2022 out of the University of San Diego, he spent all of last season in Triple-A and put up solid numbers. He slashed .293/.437/.400 with seven home runs, 20 doubles and 57 RBIs. He looks like a second baseman who has solid bat-handling skills.

Pitcher Wikelman Gonzalez is the final piece of the deal and was Boston’s 14th overall pick. A 22-year-old right-hander, he signed with the Red Sox of Venezuela in 2018. He has a fastball that can reach 97 and a tight curveball in the upper 70s. He appeared in 24 games for Double-A Portland that year, going 4-3 with a 4.73 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 92 strikeouts against 46 walks in 83 2/3 innings.

That’s a decent haul for the White Sox, even if they miss top marks because they failed to poach one of Boston’s top three contenders. They missed Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer and Kristian Campbell. However, if Teel and Montgomery live up to their expectations, they will be happy to return.