Did the White Sox Actually Fleece the Red Sox in the Garrett Crochet Trade?
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On December 11, 2024, the Chicago White Sox traded ace Garrett Crochet for a prospect haul.
Just a year and a half later, all four prospects for Chicago have made it to the major leagues, while Crochet struggles to stay healthy in Boston. Has this suddenly become a fleece by general manager Chris Getz?
Let's talks about it!
Are the White Sox the Clear Winners of the Crochet Trade?
The White Sox, in return for Crochet, received infielder Chase Meidroth, catcher Kyle Teel, outfielder Braden Montgomery, and pitcher Wikelman Gonzalez. Let's break down each of them.
Meidroth has been a pleasant surprise for White Sox fans. In two seasons with the team, Meidroth has had a 260/.334/.344 slash line. While the power certainly hasn't been there (10 home runs in 186 games), he is getting on-base and playing great defense at second base. In other words, he has become a very dependable everyday starter!
Teel was one of the main headliners of the deal. A former top prospect, Teel made his debut in 2025 and slashed .273/.375/.411 with eight home runs. He walked an exceptional 12.5% of the time, showing elite plate discipline.
Of course, Teel has yet to see the field this season after suffering a hamstring injury in the World Baseball Classic. He proceeded to experience a setback in his recovery and remains sidelined. Still, Year 1 was good enough to make fans very optimistic about who he can be long term. The expectation is that he's set as this group's catcher of the future.
Gonzalez, in 16 games during the 2025 season, pitched to a 2.66 ERA with 25 strikeouts in 20.1 innings. He seemed destined to be a big part of the White Sox's future bullpen. However, he didn't make the Opening Day roster and has spent 2026 in Triple-A with a 2.57 ERA. It's likely only a matter of time before he is back in the majors with a chip on his shoulder.
As for Montgomery, his story is just beginning. He made his MLB debut Tuesday night, hitting a walk-off home run. A debut can't go much better than that, right? Montgomery was a top prospect, known for his abilities with the bat and the glove. He might still have a lot to prove, but he came into the year as the Sox' top prospect for a reason. The upside is tremendous.
But all that isn't why Getz made a fool of the Red Sox. It's that Boston is now in desperate need of all the positions they gave away.
While Crochet was sensational last year in his first season with the Red Sox, finishing runner-up in the Cy Young voting, he has had some terrible outings in 2026 (6.30 ERA). Add in his now extended absence from the team due to his worse-than-expected lat strain, and the White Sox are already winning this trade.
Then, when you factor in that Boston's offense has been terrible and is near the bottom in practically every relevant offensive category, it makes this prospect trade an even bigger loss. For what it's worth, Boston has trotted out former top prospect Marcelo Mayer to second base the majority of the year. His bWAR is nearly five times lower than Meidroth's (1.4 vs. 0.3).
Catchers for Boston have combined for just two home runs this season. Teel, while currently dealing with the injury, would feel like a much-needed upgrade for Boston.
Outfield may not be a concern in Boston, but Montgomery's power and defense would have any team ready to make room for him. This is especially true for a team reeling as much as the Red Sox.
Look, Crochet may very well return to form in the near future, and we can't ignore what he did for that team last season. But his results this year have left a lot to be desired, and the Red Sox are also now in line to owe him $170.0 million over the next six years. Not to mention, we're talking about the White Sox potentially going 4/4 on players acquired in this deal. It's rare you see that happen, especially this quickly.
So, can we rule it a full-blown fleece? Maybe not yet, but there is no question it's quickly inching in that direction.
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Matthew Singer is a contributor for White Sox on SI. Before joining SI in 2026, he worked for Heavy as an MLB contributor and Cubs on SI. Singer has a master's degree in sports journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. He loves sports more than anything in the world.