The rumors connecting the Boston Red Sox to Chicago White Sox ace Garrett Crochet had been simmering for months.
By the time December rolled around, the chances of a deal getting worked out seemed more and more likely. But for the trade to get across the finish line, Boston was going to have to part ways with multiple promising young players.
Shortstop Marcelo Mayer – the No. 3 prospect in the Red Sox’s farm system and the No. 12 prospect in baseball – was a guest on Rob Bradford’s “Baseball Isn’t Boring” podcast on Monday. Six weeks after the Crochet trade went down, Mayer revealed how he was made aware of the parameters of the deal.
“We were in my house and I was just watching MLB Network with my dad,” Mayer said. “Chase Meidroth calls me and he’s like, ‘Dude, (Kyle) Teel just got traded.’ And I’m like ‘No way.'”
At the time, the deal had simply been reported as Teel and “other prospects” for Crochet.
“He’s like, ‘I wonder who the other prospects are,'” Mayer recounted. “And as he tells me that, he’s like ‘Dude, (Craig) Breslow’s calling me.’ And I was like ‘No way.'”
Meidroth hung up on Mayer and took the call from the Red Sox’s chief baseball officer. He had been traded to the White Sox alongside Teel, outfielder Braden Montgomery and right-handed pitcher Wikelman Gonzalez.
.@Marcelo_Mayer10 came in with the BEST Garrett Crochet trade story https://t.co/SbMrnrKmQp pic.twitter.com/NKlquBtstf
— Rob Bradford (@bradfo) January 27, 2025
Meidroth is now ranked as the No. 13 prospect in the White Sox’s farm system. Teel is ranked No. 2, while Montgomery is ranked No. 5 and Gonzalez is ranked No. 14.
Since getting selected in the fourth round of the 2022 MLB Draft, Meidroth has seen regular action at second base, third base and shortstop. The 23-year-old infielder spent all of last season with Triple-A Worcester, batting .293 with seven home runs, 20 doubles, 57 RBI, 13 stolen bases and an .838 OPS in 122 games.
MLB Pipeline has Meidroth’s big league ETA set for 2025, although he is unlikely to earn a spot on the club’s Opening Day roster. However, with Lenyn Sosa holding a tenuous grip on Chicago’s starting second base job, there is certainly a path towards Meidroth contributing in the majors this year.
Mayer is widely expected to make his MLB debut this season as well. But since both of Boston and Chicago’s head-to-head series are scheduled to take place in April, the two former Triple-A teammates probably won’t face off in The Show until 2026.
