Chase Meidroth was supposed to be one of the smaller names in the Garrett Crochet deal. Instead, he’s become the most dependable piece Chicago got back.
The White Sox infielder enters Wednesday hitting .269/.344/.392 with 78 runs, 12 home runs and 51 RBIs, and he has locked down the everyday second base job after some offseason chatter about where he fit. What makes the season stand out isn’t just the line itself. It’s how far he’s come from the player he looked like when the White Sox dealt Crochet to Boston in December 2024.
At the time, Chicago sent its ace to the Red Sox for four prospects, a move that made sense for both sides. The White Sox had lost 121 games and weren’t in position to let one elite pitcher carry the whole operation.
Boston, meanwhile, was close enough to contention to pay for the arm that could push it over the top. The deal looked solid for Chicago then, but the real value was always going to come from development.
Kyle Teel and Braden Montgomery were the headliners. Teel was viewed as a good defensive catcher with a bat that could play.
Montgomery brought switch-hitting, outfield versatility and power as a recent draft pick. Meidroth and Wikelman Gonzalez were the quieter names in the return, with Gonzalez at least carrying the label of a major-league-ready pitcher.
Meidroth, a former fourth-round pick, had plate discipline going for him and not a lot else. He was a utility infielder with limited range, ordinary hit and power tools, and the profile of a possible bench bat more than an everyday player.
That’s not how this year has played out.
All four prospects in the deal, except Montgomery, reached the majors in 2025. Teel posted a .786 OPS in 78 games and looked like a long-term answer behind the plate for Chicago.
Gonzalez turned in a 2.66 ERA, though the bullpen ended up being his best path. Montgomery made a strong run through the minors, reaching Double-A and putting up an .804 OPS across three levels.
Meidroth, though, still looked like the fringiest of the bunch. He hit only five home runs and finished with a .649 OPS.
The on-base skills were there in spots, but not consistently enough to carry the rest of the profile. He looked like a bench piece, not a second baseman you’d pencil in every day.
The Crochet side of the trade has gone through its own turbulence, and not in Boston’s favor. Crochet put up a 2.59 ERA, led the American League in strikeouts and would have won the Cy Young Award if it wasn’t for Tarik Skubal.
But this season has been a mess. He has a 6.30 ERA in six games, has been on the injured list since April and, if he returns this year, it will likely be in the playoffs and probably out of the bullpen.
The other names in the deal have had rougher stretches too. Gonzalez missed a long time on the IL, got sent back to Triple-A, and now has a 6.57 ERA.
The White Sox designated him for assignment, and he’s now in the Marlins organization. Teel has been limited to 23 games because of two long-term injuries and is hitting .655 in OPS.
Montgomery made it to the majors and has become Boston’s everyday right fielder, but he’s batting .221 with a .666 OPS and has been uneven defensively.
That’s what has flipped the trade on its head: the player who looked like a supporting piece has become the steadiest one in the group. Meidroth isn’t a power bat, but he’s providing enough pop with 27 doubles, and his contact and on-base production have been real.
Baseball Reference has him at a 107 OPS+, which sits a touch above league average. Add in solid second base defense and the ability to move around the infield, and Chicago has a legitimate everyday player.
That’s not the splashy outcome people usually chase in a blockbuster. But it matters.
Stars drive headlines. Reliable regulars keep a lineup moving.
Right now, Meidroth is the most trustworthy and valuable piece to come out of the Crochet trade, and he looks like he’ll be part of the White Sox lineup for years to come.
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