Slow burn over instant stardom: The White Sox have a new motto for their scrappy team construction
· Yahoo Sports
Chicago, your mantra for the 2026 season would appear to be “momentum,” but consider this my formal proposal for a more fitting theme: Slow burn. A year-and-a-half removed from the Garrett Crochet trade, the guys that came over from Boston — Kyle Teel, Chase Meidroth, Braden Montgomery and Wikelman González — embody a slow-burn mindset and embody the team’s development as a whole.
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Slow-burn signings and trades are often highly underrated because they don’t provide an instant dopamine jolt validating their payoff. At the time, getting a reliable lineup bat and decent arm would’ve been enough for Sox fans to claim the Crochet swap paid off. Boston’s latest injury update on Crochet’s lat strain, one that has sidelined him since April 25, not only elongates his return timeline but also presents the perfect case for why slow burns are often the most rewarding in baseball.
Starting with the most successful player of the four, Meidroth has deeply integrated himself in the clubhouse, lineup, and Sox fans’ hearts. He started as a contact-first guy, selective with his pitches last season. In 2026, Meidroth has added some thump, and is more aggressive at the plate this. His hitting has improved from .253/.329/.320 with 15 doubles, 45 walks, and a 14.3% strikeout rate in 122 games in 2025 to .273/.343/.388 with 13 doubles, 26 walks, and a 21.9% strikeout rate in 65 games so far this season. Meidroth’s Baseball Savant page summarizes it perfectly: He traded off some patience for assertiveness, and it’s proving a worthwhile swap.
Although it’s extremely early, Montgomery’s immediate impact on the Sox can only be interpreted as the best reward for waiting a year-and-a-half. MLB’s No. 21 prospect overall was drafted in 2024 and has quickly climbed the ladder after seeing his pro debut pushed to 2025 due to a broken ankle in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. He ascended from Single- to Double-A last year and helped lead the Barons to a second straight Southern League championship. Although it was disappointing to see him start in Birmingham this spring, Montgomery wasted no time getting to Triple-A. Once there, the outfielder absolutely raked in Charlotte, slashing .315/.417/.495 with 10 home runs and 41 RBIs in 56 games before he was called up. Montgomery’s explosive start is a subtle sign that he may be less of a slow burn than the other trade pieces, but his patiently-awaited debut makes his crescendo feel more drawn out.
Teel and González may not be making the headlines like Meidroth and Montgomery, but their trajectories are not far off. Teel came out guns blazing last year that made many assume he’d be the primary catcher rather than platooning with Edgar Quero. Teel slashed .273/.375/.411, and his 1.9 WAR tied him with Mike Tauchman and Miguel Vargas for the position player with highest WAR on the team with at least 75 games played. Hamstring and knee injuries have delayed Teel’s 2026 campaign, but expectations for his rebound are high.
González is in a similar boat after he found some success with the parent club towards the end of last summer. He was hurling a 2.57 ERA and holding opponents to a .184 batting average and one home run in 14 innings out of the Charlotte bullpen until he was placed on the 7-day IL in April. He hasn’t pitched since. Though he isn’t a big-name pitcher and in fact was the lowest-ranked Boston prospect in the deal (No. 14), González’s advancement from ACL ball in 2019 to today is commendable, and much further than a lot of minor-leaguers travel.
Exchanging slow burn talent for immediate star power is never easy, but Crochet certainly is looking less and less like “the pitcher who got away.” And even if he was, the White Sox wouldn’t have it any other way.