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The Boston Red Sox added arguably the best available starting pitcher this offseason when they struck a blockbuster deal with the Chicago White Sox for Garrett Crochet. After missing out on free agents like Blake Snell, Willy Adames, Juan Soto and Max Fried, the Red Sox made a huge splash in the trade market.
Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow addressed the trade after it was made official on Wednesday per USA Today's Bob Nightengale.
“We feel like we got a legitimate No. 1 starter in Garrett,” Breslow said. “Left-handed, ton of swing and miss, massive strikeouts and feel like the best is still in front of him. So we're excited about what he brings. And obviously, we needed to trade really good players in order to be able to do this.”
“But that's the cost right now and we're very much focused on what we were able to get,” Breslow continued.
In order to get Crochet, the Red Sox had to give up four prospects headlined by catcher Kyle Teel. The 22-year-old Teel was the Red Sox's No. 4 prospect and the No. 25 prospect in all of baseball according to MLB Pipeline. Outfielder Braden Montgomery, the Red Sox's No. 5 prospect and baseball's No. 54 prospect, infielder Chase Meidroth, the Red Sox's No. 11 prospect and RHP Wikelman Gonzalez, the Red Sox's No. 14 prospect were the other players included in the trade.
Breslow is correct, the cost to acquire Crochet was high. But, it is clear that a package like this is what it takes in order to trade for a young ace.
Why the Boston Red Sox traded for Garrett Crochet
Despite playing for the historically-bad White Sox, Crochet was still able to put together an impressive 2024 season, his first as a full-time starting pitcher.
Named an All-Star in 2024, the 25-year-old lefty recorded a 3.58 ERA and had a stunning 12.9 SO/9. With an elite fastball-slider-cutter pitch-mix, Crochet has some of the most un-hittable stuff in all of baseball.
With two years of team control left before he becomes an un-restricted free agent, the question for the Red Sox will be when, or if, they begin to approach Crochet about a potential extension. Crochet made headlines when he said that if he was traded at this year's deadline, he would not pitch in the postseason unless he had signed an extension.
The Red Sox still have some holes on their roster, and have the flexibility to continue to pursue trades or spend in free agency. They are expected to pursue at least one more starting pitcher, some bullpen arms and a right-handed bat.
