White Sox notebook: Who Sox got in trade, Rule 5 Draft; Sasaki to get bid, Tauchman signing official<\/b>
\nChris Getz said it was difficult to trade Garrett Crochet, but the White Sox general manager\u2019s intention to do just that was evident since the trade deadline.
But landing the Red Sox\u2019 No. 4, 5, 11 and 14 prospects from the Red Sox for the All-Star lefty made it easy.
\u201cTo be able to get a haul like we did and diversify a deal with some real talent in there, it became very obvious that this was a good deal for the Chicago White Sox,\u201d Getz said Wednesday.
Here\u2019s who the Sox got:
Catcher Kyle Teel, 22, is rated by MLB Pipeline the No. 3 catcher overall. He batted .288\/.386\/.433 with 23 doubles, 13 home runs and 78 RBI with 12 stolen bases in 112 games last season with Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester. The Red Sox drafted him No. 14 overall in 2023.
Outfielder Braden Montgomery, 21, was a projected top three pick but dropped to 12th overall in the 2024 draft and did not make his pro debut in 2024 due to a broken ankle suffered in the college regionals. But is expected to be ready for spring training, Getz said.
Chase Meidroth, 23, was a Triple-A All-Star after batting .293\/.437\/ with 20 doubles, seven home runs, 105 walks and 13 stolen bases in 122 games with Worcester. His 105 walks led the minor leagues, and his .437 on-base percentage ranked third. He appeared in 51 games at shortstop, 35 at third base and 19 at second. Meidroth was named Double-A Portland\u2019s Defensive Player of the Year in 2023. The Red Sox drafted him in the fourth round in 2022. Getz said he has a chance to break camp with the Sox out of spring training.
Wikelman Gonz\u00e1lez, 22, went 4-3 with a 4.73 ERA, 92 strikeouts in 89 1\/3 innings for Portland in 2024. He was named the Red Sox\u2019 minor league starting pitcher of the year in 2023.
\u201cI feel a lot better\u201d about the rebuild, Getz said.
\u201cWe were focused on bringing in as much high end talent that we could and we were able to accomplish that.\u201d
Pitcher Shane Smith taken first overall in Rule 5 draft
With the first pick in the Rule 5 draft, the Sox selected right-hander Shane Smith from the Milwaukee Brewers.
Smith, 24, owns a 2.69 ERA in 73 games over three minor league seasons in the Brewers organization. In 32 games between the Brewers\u2019 Triple-A and Double-A levels in 2024, half of them starts, he pitched to a 3.04 ERA while averaging 10.9 strikeouts per nine innings.
The 6-4 Smith\u2019s repertoire includes a mid-90s mph fastball, slider and curve.
\u201cIt was a clear decision for us that he was the right guy,\u201d Getz said. \u201cIt was almost a consensus with our group, which isn\u2019t always the case.\u201d
There\u2019s a good chance Smith is part of the Sox\u2019 pitching staff in 2025. Rule 5 picks go on a team\u2019s 26-man roster and must be placed on outright waivers if removed.
\u201cHe\u2019ll compete for a spot,\u201d Getz said.
\u2018Presentation\u2019 for Sasaki
The Sox have given no indications of being willing to spend significantly this offseason, but Japanese free agent pitcher Roki Sasaki will hear from them, Getz said.
\u201cWe plan on putting together a presentation for Sasaki,\u201d Getz said. \u201cHe\u2019s obviously a very sought after pitcher, we\u2019re going to get a crack at it and see if we can convert.\u201d
Tauchman deal official
The signing of former Cub outfielder Mike Tauchman was made official, for one year at $1.95 million.<\/p>\n