CHGO Digest: Garrett Crochet, Kyle Tucker & Bill Belichick

Good morning, friends!

It’s easier to focus on Winter Meetings when the Bears are 4-9 and on the brink of elimination from playoff contention, huh?

As the week of meetings wrapped up in Dallas, the White Sox made a splash, trading their tall, fireballing lefthander to the Boston Red Sox for a haul of prospects. Sound familiar? Well, if Garrett Crochet wins the Cy Young with the Atlanta Braves in eight years, then we’re in the Twilight Zone.

Meanwhile, the Cubs are rumored to be heavily involved in trade talks with the Houston Astros for star right fielder Kyle Tucker. Maybe a deal happens overnight. Maybe this is outdated by the time it reaches your inbox in the morning. Maybe the Yankees swoop in while Jed Hoyer struggles to part with high-end prospects.

— Patrick Norton

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Crochet to Boston

The White Sox trading Crochet was always the likeliest outcome despite the lefty’s success in Chicago last season. The decision to convert the former reliever into a starting pitcher, something Crochet campaigned for after recovering from Tommy John surgery in 2022, paid off in the end for Chris Getz’s club.

Either the White Sox would have their ace for the foreseeable future or Getz could deal the budding ace with two years left of inexpensive team control for a haul of prospects to add life into the team’s rebuild.

Holding onto Crochet, especially after the team lost an ML-record 121 games in 2024, made little sense. There was no guarantee he would re-sign or be healthy by the time Getz expects the White Sox’s competitive window to open.

Now, by acquiring catcher Kyle Teel (No. 25 on MLB.com’s Top 100 prospects) and outfielder Braden Montgomery (No. 54), in addition to infielder Chase Meidroth and right-hander Wikelman Gonzalez, the White Sox have six of the league’s top 59 prospects.

⚾ Vinnie Duber takes a look at the futures of Teel, Montgomery, Meidroth and Gonzalez in Chicago’s system.

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Cubs talking Tucker

In 36 hours, we went from “The Astros will listen to offers on Kyle Tucker but are unlikely to deal the star” to “Cubs are front-runners for Tucker and a trade seems likely”.

Okay! That’s something. It’s been a quiet winter for the North Siders. No surprise Craig Counsell hiring, the team wasn’t in on Juan Soto, who received a 15-year deal worth north of $765 million with the Mets, and according to reports, the Red Sox put every other offer for Crochet to shame.

Here’s the latest on the rumors surrounding Kyle Tucker and the Cubs’ apparent interest:

[11:04 a.m.] – The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal tweets: “Preliminary Kyle Tucker trade talks between the Astros and Cubs involve both Isaac Paredes and Seiya Suzuki“

• Wow. That’s a hefty price tag, but something Hoyer still has to think about considering Tucker’s hitting prestige. Fan of traditional stats? You’re going to like Tucker’s 23 home runs in 78 games last year. More of a sabermetrics person? Enjoy Tucker’s 180 wRC+ in 2024.

[4:20 p.m.] Insider Jon Heyman tweets: In addition to Seiya Suzuki and Isaac Paredes, the Astros would like the Cubs to include one of their two most recent No. 1 draft choices — either 3B Cam Smith or SS Matt Shaw.

• Okay… it’s pretty steep. Maybe the final deal would look a little different. But Tucker is 27-years-old. Imagine getting the upper hand on negotiations for a long-term extension due after the 2025 season.

[6:44 p.m.] – ESPN’s Buster Olney tweets: Only two players in MLB had a higher pull rate than Isaac Paredes in 2024: Jose Altuve and Rhys Hoskins. His swing is made for the Crawford Boxes.

• Hmm. Interesting for Olney to just post about Paredes’ pull-side power and how it would be perfect for Minute Maid Park (soon to be called Daikin Park).

[8:22 p.m.] Heyman writes in the New York Post: “[Cody] Bellinger looked like the best fit of all as a lefty-hitting first baseman/center fielder, and while the Yankees and Cubs were still apart on money, there was said to be a bit of progress late Wednesday.”

• So, let me get this straight – the Cubs could deal Paredes, Suzuki and Bellinger for Kyle Tucker and possibly other pieces from the Yankees? That’s one way to attack the offseason. Tucker would be one heck of a splash for Hoyer and the Cubs, but it comes down to how the general manager attacks the rest of the winter if Chicago wants to avoid a third consecutive 83-win season in 2025.

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Cross off Belichick for the Bears

Chapel Bill! I’m still a little stunned that Bill Belichick is heading to the college game. Especially when coaches around the sport seem to be flocking to retirement or the pros due to the transfer portal’s relevance and NIL’s significance. The game has changed, and it resembling a more professional operation makes it an enticing option for coaches like Belichick.

However, it takes a “leader of men” off the board for the Bears’ upcoming head coaching search. There’s reasonable debate as to whether the game has passed the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach since losing Tom Brady after the 2019 season, but it still would’ve been nice to consider the option in the offseason.

Cut from a similar-ish cloth, Mike Vrabel, who is currently a consultant for the Cleveland Browns, fits the bill. While in charge of the Tennessee Titans, Vrabel finished above .500 in four of his six seasons and made the playoffs three times. He doesn’t come with six rings as a player, but Vrabel did win three as a linebacker under Belichick in New England. Additionally, it was Vrabel’s Titans in 2019 that ended Brady and Belichick’s reign.

🏈 Speaking of defensive coaches, what in the world happened to the Bears’ run defense?

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Join us for an upcoming CHGO event!

🍻 12/22 | CHGO Bears Tailgate at Wabash & Cermak! – Week 16 vs. Lions

🍻 12/26 | CHGO Bears Tailgate at Wabash & Cermak! – Week 17 vs. Seahawks

🌹 1/4 | CHGO Bulls Suite Takeover on Derrick Rose Night vs. New York Knicks

🏒 1/20 | CHGO Blackhawks Suite Takeover vs. Carolina Hurricanes