After stunning the baseball world by trading prized catching prospect Kyle Teel to the Chicago White Sox for ace Garrett Crochet, the Boston Red Sox are suddenly staring down a serious question: Who’s their catcher of the future?
Teel, a standout from Virginia and a New Jersey native, was considered a cornerstone piece—until the Red Sox decided to go all-in on pitching by acquiring one of MLB’s hottest arms in Crochet. The move made waves, but it also left a void behind the plate.
Now, with their catching depth chart looking thin, Boston may be eyeing a bold solution. According to a proposal from John Vankin at Newsweek, the Sox could swing another big deal—this time with the Kansas City Royals.
The idea? Trade outfielder Masataka Yoshida to KC in exchange for rising star catcher Blake Mitchell.
Vankin explains the logic:
“The solution? Use Yoshida in a trade to address another area of need… catching.”
Mitchell, the Royals’ No. 2 prospect and the 8th overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, has the potential to become a long-term answer behind the dish. Though he’s currently sidelined with a hand injury and hasn’t exactly torn it up at the plate (.226 average, 18 HRs in 430 ABs), his upside could be the perfect fit for Boston’s youth movement.
The Royals may hesitate to part ways with their high-upside backstop, but if the Red Sox can offload Yoshida’s contract while addressing a major need, this could be the kind of savvy move that shapes their future.
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