The Red Sox made a big push this offseason to ensure they improved their starting rotation. They did so in a big way in December, as they acquired flamethrowing lefty Garrett Crochet from the White Sox in a blockbuster trade.
However, in order to do so, they had to part with some significant prospects. Four top prospects exited Boston for the White Sox, including C Kyle Teel, OF Braden Montgomery, INF Chase Meidroth, and RHP Wikelman Gonzalez.
The biggest name leaving the Red Sox in this trade was undoubtedly Kyle Teel. Teel was one of Boston's vaunted top prospects and a former first-round draft pick in the 2023 MLB draft. It seemed that he would become Boston's future catcher, but the need for quality starting pitching became too great.
Teel's exit left the Red Sox with Connor Wong and Carlos Narvaez to navigate the 2025 season. However, Boston decided to swing a trade with the Giants to add more depth to the position.
Blake Sabol will have to win over Red Sox fans after the huge loss of former prospect Kyle Teel
San Francisco sent catcher Blake Sabol to the BoSox in exchange for international bonus pool space. To make room for Sabol, Boston designated RHP Chase Shugart for assignment. Shugart has since been traded to the Pirates.
Blake Sabol is really solid catching depth. Especially if it only costs you international bonus $.
— Tyler Milliken (@tylermilliken_) January 15, 2025
92 OPS+ as a Rule 5 Pick in 2023. Was picked and traded similar to Slaten.
Rough blocking wise, but good framer and handles the run game well.
pic.twitter.com/4mKUKP9dao
Sabol will certainly compete with Narvaez for the backup catching spot once spring training kicks off in February. He has 121 big league games under his belt, most of which came in 2023.
In 2024, he played only 11 games with the Giants, hitting .313 with two doubles and one RBI. He spent most of the season at Triple-A, posting a .246/.340/.388 line, including 14 doubles, 11 home runs, and 54 RBI over 97 games.
Sabol also has some versatility as he's played 32 big league games in left field. In fact, he just started catching professionally a couple of years ago. However, he has a bit more MLB experience than Narvaez, so it would make sense to use him as a backup catcher, especially if he can maintain positional versatility in the outfield and at first base.
Regardless of the talent he possesses, Sabol isn't in the same realm as Teel. Teel is ranked as MLB's 25th-best prospect and is expected to be one of the best catchers in baseball. His 2023 season at Virginia was incredible as he batted .407/.475/.655, which was good enough to earn him ACC Player of the Year.
Teel is a balanced left-handed hitter with a lot of discipline and can hit the ball to all fields. Sabol has promise offensively, but he isn't in the same realm as Teel on either side of the plate.
As far as depth moves go, picking up Sabol was a shrewd one by Craig Breslow and the Red Sox front office. However, he doesn't begin to answer the questions that were created at the catcher position from the Crochet trade. Boston still has plenty of work to do at the position if it hopes to seriously compete in 2025.