By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

Former Ocean Springs High School all-state standout Garrett Crochet is changing the color of his footwear.
The 25-year-old Crochet, coming off his best year yet in Major League Baseball with the Chicago White Sox, was traded to the Boston Red Sox Monday afternoon for four prospects at the annual MLB Winter Meetings in Dallas.
Crochet was an All-Star for Chicago in 2024, his first year as a starting pitcher in the Majors. Though his record was just 6-12 for the 121-loss White Sox, he posted a 3.58 ERA with 209 strikeouts and just 33 walks in 146 innings.
He debuted in 2020 and posted a 2.82 ERA as a full-time reliever in 54 appearances in 2021, but he missed all of 2022 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, returning for 13 solid appearances in 2023.

The trade marks the Red Sox’s first major move of the off season after the club missed out in its pursuits of free agents Juan Soto (Mets) and Max Fried (Yankees). Crochet immediately slots in at the top of Boston rotation that also includes Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford, Brayan Bello and Lucas Giolito, who should return from Tommy John surgery rehab in 2025.
The Red Sox are sending catcher Kyle Teel to Chicago in the deal, along with outfielder Braden Montgomery, infielder Chase Meidroth and right-handed pitcher Wikelman Gonzalez. Accoording to MLBom, Teel is the Red Sox’s No. 4 prospect, Montgomery is No. 5, Meidroth is No. 11, and Gonzalez is No. 14.

Of the prospects heading back to Chicago in the swap, MLB Pipeline projects Teel, Meidroth and Gonzalez as becoming MLB ready in 2025, pegging Montgomery with a 2027 ETA. Teel (No. 14 overall, 2023) and Montgomery (No. 12 overall, 2024) represent Boston’s last two first-round Draft picks.
Leading into the deadline, Crochet was positioned to become a significant contributor in the rotation of a contending team. Instead, the White Sox opted to hold on to him for the remainder of the 2024 season. Crochet has two more years of team control and is set to become a free agent after 2026.

The White Sox, who finished 41-121 in 2024 for the worst record in MLB history, are deep in the weeds of another rebuild. Landing Kyle Teel, a 22-year-old catcher and designated hitter, is a positive addition to a farm system that desperately needs to produce multiple stars to help the big-league team.