Offseason additions don't always pan out, which is why the Boston Red Sox are thrilled with how the Garrett Crochet experience has been going so far. The left-handed ace has lived up to the hype and exceeded expectations since being acquired from the Chicago White Sox in December, and Red Sox fans can't wait to see how the rest of his debut season unfolds.
As fantastic as he's been in Boston, Crochet's arrival didn't come without a price. The Red Sox traded prospects Wikelman Gonzalez, Chase Meidroth, Braden Montgomery, and Kyle Teel to the White Sox to acquire the gifted southpaw, and it remained to be seen if any of those up-and-coming names would develop into full-time MLB players.
While the jury might still be out on some of those prospects, one of the Red Sox's former studs will likely debut with the White Sox sooner rather than later.
Former Red Sox Prospect Kyle Teel Lands MLB Promotion With White Sox
On Thursday evening, MassLive's Chris Cotillo reported that the White Sox are "expected" to call Teel up to the Majors. The rumor emerged after the talented catching prospect was scratched ahead of the latest Triple-A Charlotte game, a good indication that his MLB debut is right around the corner.
Teel, 23, was drafted 14th overall by the Red Sox in 2023. The Ridgewood, NJ native quickly became someone whom Boston fans couldn't wait to see at the big-league level, leading to his being a part of the 'Big 4' prospect group that also included Kristian Campbell, Marcelo Mayer, and Roman Anthony, the latter of whom is still waiting for the Red Sox to call him up.
Red Sox fans always had a feeling Teel would be special, and it only took the White Sox a few months to learn the same thing. In 50 Triple-A appearances (183 at-bats), the former Virginia Cavalier slashed .295/.394/.492 with eight home runs, 10 doubles, 30 RBIs, seven stolen bases, and 30 walks. His .469 on-base percentage against left-handed pitchers likely looked enticing to Chicago, which ranks sixth-worst in that regard this season.
Although it would've been nice to see Teel thrive in Boston, Carlos Narvaez's emergence behind home plate has made the former Red Sox prospect's success easier to swallow. The rookie backstop has five HRs, 19 RBIs, 17 walks, and a .288/.356/.456 slash line through 47 games (160 ABs), potentially making him the Red Sox's long-term solution behind home plate.
The Red Sox already played their two series against the White Sox in April, meaning Teel won't be making an appearance at Fenway Park until 2026 at the earliest. In the meantime, Boston fans will continue cheering on their former catcher from afar.