Boston traded Teel away before the start of the 2025 season, but they are showing interest in bringing him back.
According to new reports out of the winter meetings, the Boston Red Sox are interested in re-acquiring catcher Kyle Teel from the Chicago White Sox.
Boston drafted Teel in 2023 out of the University of Virginia and then traded him to Chicago before the 2025 season in the deal that brought Garrett Crochet to Boston.
MassLive reported the interest in re-acquiring Teel, however nothing is close at this time. There's also nothing that says the White Sox have to trade Teel, who is under team control through 2031. Chicago has another young catcher, Edgar Quero, and perhaps that's the reason that Boston feels it can call on Teel.
About Teel
Now 23 years old, Teel made his debut this past season for Chicago, hitting .273 with eight home runs and 35 RBIs over 78 games. Even though the White Sox had the worst record in the American League, Teel was a bright spot, providing 1.9 WAR (Baseball Reference) and a .375 on-base percentage.
About the Red Sox catching situation
As of now, the Red Sox have Carlos Narvaez and Connor Wong as major league catchers.
Now 27 years old, Narvaez was acquired last offseason from the New York Yankees, and he became a big part of why the Red Sox advanced to the American League playoffs for the first time since 2021.
He hit .241 with 15 home runs in 118 games, also smacking 27 doubles and bringing in 50 runs. He became one of the better hitting catchers in the American League.
As for Wong, he struggled immensely at the plate in 2025, hitting just .190 with no home runs. But the team is paying him more than $1 million, so they still seem willing to utilize him on the roster. He had 13 home runs as recently as 2024, knows the pitching staff and provides some athleticism.
The Red Sox have a clear plan
For whatever reason, the Red Sox seem committed to acquiring catching depth this offseason. Boston has already acquired catching prospects Ronny Hernandez (also from the White Sox) and Luke Heyman (from the Mariners) this offseason, perhaps trying to find a franchise cornerstone behind the plate.
Re-acquiring Teel would likely trump those moves and accomplish that goal.
Other news and notes
The winter meetings will last through Wednesday night with everyone clearing out on Thursday morning. Boston remains committed to finding offensive help and has been linked to both Pete Alonso and Alex Bregman. Jorge Polanco is also an option, as is Bo Bichette.
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