The Boston Red Sox want to reacquire young catcher Kyle Teel in a trade this offseason, but the Chicago White Sox are going to build around Teel before moving him.
Less than 48 hours into the MLB Winter Meetings in Orlando, and while actual transactions have been minimal, the rumor mill is already delivering some genuine comedy.
Among the surprises are the interests Boston Red Sox: A team meeting with Pete Alonso, fielding calls on their pitching and outfield depth, and apparently wanting to trade back for the same player they sent to the Chicago White Sox last offseason.
Kyle Teel was one of the key pieces Boston shipped to Chicago in the Garrett Crochet deal in December 2024. A first-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft and a top-100 prospect at the time, Teel has done nothing but perform at every level in both organizations.
He earned his MLB promotion and debuted for the White Sox on June 6, 2025, posting a .786 OPS with 11 doubles, eight home runs, and 1.9 fWAR in just 78 games as a rookie.
Teel already looks like one of the best young catchers in the sport. And the White Sox appear to have a surplus of young catching talent with Edgar Quero, another former top-100 prospect, also showing real promise during his rookie season.
And with their current need behind the plate, the Red Sox are having a bit of remorse.
According to a report from Red Sox beat writers Sean McAdam and Chris Cotillo, Boston has interest in reacquiring Teel this offseason.
“In an ironic twist, Teel is once again a trade candidate this winter after debuting in 2025 — and the Red Sox have shown at least some interest in bringing him back," wrote McAdam and Cotillo in their Winter Meetings report for MassLive.com.
“Ironic twist” is one way to put it. Laughable is another.
For starters, Teel is hardly a “trade candidate.” Chris Getz has already made it clear he has no intention of dealing from the organization’s catching depth this offseason. And if he did, Quero — not Teel — would be more likely to be the one moved, in my opinion. Teel is simply the better player and someone for Chicago to build around.
The one critique of Teel’s game — pitch framing — becomes irrelevant with the ABS strike zone arriving in 2026. Everything else about his profile fits exactly what a modern contender wants behind the plate. He has advanced zone control, high on-base skills, emerging power, can hit to all fields while swinging from the left side, and — for a catcher — above-average athleticism and speed.
I understand why the Red Sox are interested. They need a catcher, and they’re coming off a playoff run. They should absolutely be aggressive to get their guy.
But unless they’re prepared to part with Roman Anthony… or send Garrett Crochet back to the South Side (I kid, I kid)… the odds of this happening are exactly 0%.
Interest is one thing. But a trade requires a partner.
And the White Sox love what they have in Kyle Teel.