White Sox Reportedly Rebuff Red Sox Efforts to Bring Back Catcher Kyle Teel
Chicago has reportedly turned away every Boston inquiry about Teel, the catcher the Red Sox sent to the White Sox in last December's Garrett Crochet trade.
By Ishani Kapalli · · Originally reported by Boston.com
The Red Sox' reported push to reacquire catcher Kyle Teel appears headed nowhere. According to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon, the White Sox have "shut down every inquiry" Boston has made about the young backstop.
The report followed word earlier this week that the Red Sox were trying to bring Teel back. Boston sent him to Chicago last December as part of the package for left-hander Garrett Crochet.
Rosenthal and Sammon wrote that the White Sox "have no desire to trade an athletic, left-handed-hitting catcher who can control the strike zone and run."
Teel, who turns 24 in February, was the centerpiece prospect in the four-player deal. MLB Pipeline ranked him 25th in baseball at the time of the trade, and he was Boston's fourth-ranked prospect. He had reached Triple-A Worcester around the same time as Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer and Kristian Campbell. The Red Sox also parted with Braden Montgomery, Chase Meidroth and Wikelman Gonzalez to land Crochet.
Boston chose Teel in the first round of the 2023 draft. In his only full season in the Red Sox farm system, he hit .288 with an .879 OPS, 13 home runs and 78 RBIs before the trade.
He moved quickly in the majors, getting called up in June and producing at the plate as a rookie. Over 78 games he batted .273 with a .786 OPS, eight home runs and 35 RBIs. His defense was a concern, though: his minus-seven Outs Above Average ranked among the worst in baseball.
Catcher is not an urgent need for Boston, since Carlos Narvaez had a strong rookie season there. Still, the club has been open to adding another catcher this offseason. MassLive's Sean McAdam reported earlier in December that the White Sox were believed to be listening to offers for Teel and fellow young catcher Edgar Quero.
Even without a vacancy behind the plate, a reunion with Teel would have made sense given his potential as a hitter, had Chicago been willing to deal him.
Teel is not the only catcher linked to the Red Sox this winter. They have also reportedly shown interest in Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto, a free agent. The 34-year-old hit .257 with a .700 OPS and 12 homers in 134 games last season.
