I’ll admit it. When I first read the report that the Boston Red Sox had interest in acquiring catcher Kyle Teel from the Chicago White Sox, I questioned its legitimacy.
“No duh,” I thought. I also scroll Zillow in my spare time looking at $2 million houses I’ll never be able to afford.
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That’s what the report felt like — technically true, but completely detached from reality.
And yet, it was legitimate. The Red Sox actually picked up the phone and called Chris Getz about Kyle Teel.
A laughable idea to most White Sox fans. And apparently, a laughable idea to Getz as well.
The White Sox GM responded to the inquiry with an emoji…and that said it all.
“It’s an emoji return. What are we doing here?,” Getz said to Mully and Haugh on 670 The Score. “Teams can ask for anyone. Sure, go ahead. It’s just a matter of how much attention you’re going to give it on the reply. “
“That one, it’s interesting. It’s wild that you trade someone and want them back that quickly.”
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I interpret Boston’s eagerness the same way Getz does. That’s a front office that know the mistake they made.
“It’s a left-handed catcher. He can hit, he’s got zone control, he’s got some pop, he’s athletic as hell, he’s got a good arm, and he can run,” said Getz of Teel. “It’s a unique skillset for that position. It’s unique. It’s gold. So certainly didn’t take it very seriously when they reached out.”
Who would?
There’s a reason the White Sox insisted Teel be included as one of the centerpieces in the Garrett Crochet trade last winter. He’s an athletic, left-handed hitting catcher with a tremendous feel for the strike zone. He plays with energy. He plays with edge.
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Teel has a palpable love for the game — the kind that rubs off on teammates and lifts an entire clubhouse.
That’s the type of young player you build a rebuild around, especially at a premium position like catcher. His .786 OPS was indicative of a wildly successful rookie campaign. So why, exactly, would Chicago move him now?
You never just hang up the phone outright. The White Sox front office is smart to hear whatever Boston had to say. But it’s hard to imagine a realistic offer that would come close to offsetting the value of losing Teel.
Are the Red Sox willing to part with Wilyer Abreu — a 26-year-old corner outfielder with a .791 career OPS, back-to-back Gold Glove awards, and a 22-home-run season in 2025?
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Are they willing to give up MLB-ready left-handed pitching prospects like Peyton Tolle or Connelly Early?
If the answer is yes, then maybe there’s at least a conversation to be had. Even then, it’s debatable whether that’s enough — but at least it’s a starting point that might make the White Sox listen.
If that kind of return is a non-starter for Boston, though, why bother making the call?
There may not be a more valuable player to the success of this White Sox rebuild than Kyle Teel. That’s certainly up for debate, but he’s firmly in the discussion. And players like that don’t get traded lightly.
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The White Sox front office has already stated this winter that now is not the time to trade from its surplus of catching. It’s clear they meant it.
And honestly, it’s reassuring to know that the White Sox had the same reaction to Boston’s interest as the rest of us did.
Nobody ever took it seriously.