Former GM Believes Red Sox Can Land Garrett Crochet Without Top Prospects

Garrett Crochet might be the most valuable pitching asset the White Sox organization has had since Chris Sale. Ironically, his White Sox career might end like Sale’s. The Boston Red Sox are one of several teams rumored to be in on the Garrett Crochet sweepstakes along with the Dodgers, Orioles, Mets, and Phillies. 

It’s easy to see why there are plenty of suitors for Crochet. In just one season he turned himself from a hard-throwing but injury-prone reliever to a top-of-the-line starting pitcher. Along the way, he shattered several franchise records, was named an All-Star, and earned AL Comeback Player of the Year honors. He is also just 25 years old with two more seasons of team control at an affordable price. 

The Red Sox make for a perfect trade partner. They have not made a big splash in several seasons. After ranking ninth in the MLB in runs scored but 17th in ERA, the front office feels they are only a few moves away from contending in the AL East. Chris Getz has said he is looking for position players as part of a return for Crochet, and the Red Sox farm system has plenty to offer. 

The Red Sox top-four prospects, Roman Anothony, Kristain Campbell, Marcelo Mayer, and Kyle Teel, are known by many as the “big four”. Each one of them is nearing their MLB debut. It would seem that at least one of them would need to be included in a deal for Crochet, but one former MLB executive believes the Red Sox can still get a deal done without parting ways with any of them. 

According to former MLB general manager Jim Bowden, a package of Triston Casas, Wilyer Abreu, and Connor Wong might be enough to get a trade done. While none of those three players are considered prospects, it would change the trajectory of the White Sox rebuild. They would be getting three young controllable players in return that would sure up a future catcher to pair with Edgar Quero, a replacement for Andrew Vaughn at first base, and an upgrade in right field. 

Triston Casas is a former first-round pick out of Flordia’s American Heritage High School. In three seasons with the Red Sox the 24-year-old owns a career .250/.357/.473 OPS slash line with 42 homers and 109 RBIs. Casas has shown good power in his young career, hitting a career-high 24 homers in 2023. He also possesses a career walk rate of 14.2% which is one of the top marks in baseball during that stretch. However, the first baseman only remains under team control through 2026. 

Connor Wong is a 28-year-old catcher who has spent his entire four-year MLB career in Boston. With Wong, the White Sox would be getting a significant offensive upgrade at backup catcher over Korey Lee. Wong is a respectable  .256  career hitter. Last season he slashed .280/.333.425 with 13 homers and 52 RBIs. However, his defensive metrics are not as favorable with a league-average caught-stealing rate and  -13 blocks above average. Like Casas, he is under team control through 2026. 

Wilyer Abreu is a 25-year-old right fielder who just finished his first full season in the majors. Last season he slashed .253/.322/.459 with 15 home runs and 58 RBIs. He has shown tremendous bat speed and hits the ball hard consistently. In 2024 he ranked in the MLB’s top six percentile with a hard-hit percentage of 50.5. He also ranked in the league's 86th percentile with an average exit velocity of 91.6 mph. 

Abreu has also proven to be an excellent defender. He had 7 Outs Above Average last season and was one of the strongest outfield arms in the MLB. His nine assists from right field were the most in the AL. He is under team control through 2027. 

When asked about the potential trade package Bowden wrote in The Atheltic that “based on what the White Sox are saying that package of Casas, Abreu, and Connor Wong probably gets close to landing Crochet.” He adds that if that trade is executed it could signal the Red Sox are trying to move Rafel Devers to first base so they can make another big splash and go after Alex Bregman or Willy Adamaes in free agency.