The Red Sox are reportedly “close” to trading for the left-hander Garrett Crochet in a deal that includes top catching opportunities Kyle Telaccording to a report by Julian McWilliams of The Boston Globe. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the deal is in the medical phase but is not yet official. Passan notes that several interested parties are returning to Chicago in exchange for Crochet’s services. According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the full deal sends Teel to outfielder Braden MontgomeryInfield prospectus Chase Meidroth and right-handed starting pitching prospect Wikelman Gonzalez to the White Sox.

The 25-year-old Crochet was the 11th overall pick in the 2020 draft and made his big league debut that same season with a cup of coffee in six innings. He was a key piece in the White Sox bullpen in 2021 with a 2.82 ERA and 2.80 FIP in 54 1/3 innings, but missed the entire 2022 season and part of the 2023 season after suffering an injury had undergone Tommy John surgery. The left-hander ultimately made just 13 appearances in the majors last year, struggling in 12 2/3 innings, during which time he walked more batters than he struck out.

When the White Sox made the decision in March to not only add Crochet to the rotation but also name him the club’s Opening Day starter, the news came as something of a shock given his lengthy injury history. The move proved fateful, however, as Crochet delivered a dominant season for Chicago, emerging as the club’s only bright spot during a brutal 121-loss season. Crochet pitched 146 innings in 32 starts for the White Sox this year, posting a 3.58 ERA (115 ERA+) with a phenomenal 2.69 FIP. Among starters with at least 100 innings pitched in 2024, Crochet led the sport in strikeout rate (35.1%) and SIERA (2.53), while also posting an elite 5.5% walk rate and a had a solid groundball rate of 45.1%.

More to come…