The Boston Red Sox are already seeing why they traded four top prospects for Garrett Crochet this offseason.
Crochet has been a force to be reckoned with in Fort Myers. In his four spring training appearances, he's clocked a 0.87 ERA with 21 strikeouts and six walks in 10.1 innings. He’s been a dominant presence on the field and has won the hearts of Sox fans. Although the Red Sox gave up a lot, Crochet has already cemented himself as an ace this year.
On the other side of the Crochet trade are the Chicago White Sox, who are overwhelmed with the number of prospects they have. Among them are former top Boston prospects Kyle Teel, Braden Montgomery, Chase Meidroth, and Wikelman Gonzalez.
Here’s a look at how the Red Sox’s four top prospects are doing with the White Sox.
Kyle Teel
Although he hasn’t appeared in many games this spring, Teel has had a hot start. He’s slashing .294/.429/.706 with six RBIs and two home runs in just 17 plate appearances. His strong offensive ceiling beats current White Sox catcher Matt Thaiss, and his defense is much welcomed on a team that struggled, to say the least, defensively.
Teel doesn’t have an easy path to becoming the White Sox’s backup catcher after he was surprisingly sent back to minor league camp. He’s still an active part of the lineup at Camelback Ranch, which bodes well for him making the 40-man roster at least.
Braden Montgomery
Now the No. 5 prospect in the White Sox farm system, Montgomery has had limited playtime this year. While his .333 batting average and .556 on-base percentage are eye-catching, his eight-game sample size makes it hard to truly assess his talent. His early reassignment to minor league camp speaks more about the White Sox’s strategy than Montgomery’s talent.
Montgomery’s talent has been promising since the 2024 draft, but it’s now on the White Sox to develop it. His projected debut date isn’t until 2027, but if Montgomery continues to look good that could be moved up to next year.
Chase Meidroth
Meidroth has emerged as an important member of the White Sox. After Colson Montgomery, the No. 4 prospect in Chicago’s farm system who seemed to be a shoo-in for shortstop on the Opening Day squad, was sent back to Triple-A in the middle of spring training, Meidroth has the best odds of any former Boston prospect to break camp on the 26-man roster. His .107 batting average is far from ideal, but his plate discipline has helped him draw eight walks.
Meidroth hasn’t been the strongest hitter, but with the White Sox shortstop position being fair game to any player, Meidroth could easily squeeze his way onto the Opening Day roster.
Wikelman Gonzalez
Gonzalez has had the worst performance of these four prospects this offseason. He allowed two solo home runs in the only inning he’s pitched in spring training. Gonzalez was optioned to Double-A earlier a couple of weeks ago and he likely won’t appear in another game until early April when the season starts.
Rushing Gonzalez through the minor league system would be a mistake, but the White Sox might get desperate to inject young talent into their roster if the going gets tough again. Gonzalez shouldn’t be expected to make his debut in the first half of the season, but things could change fast.