The Boston Red Sox are not done shopping for a shortstop. In fact, they might just be getting started.
Boston already acquired Curtis Mead from the Nationals earlier this week. That move was billed as a versatile infield addition, not a solution at short. Multiple reports now indicate the Red Sox are still working the phones on a legitimate everyday shortstop, with the biggest names on their board being the Angels’ Zach Neto, the Nationals’ CJ Abrams, the Astros’ Jeremy Pena, and the Marlins’ Otto Lopez.
Yes, all four of those names are real. Yes, that would be one of the more ambitious shortstop hunts in recent memory. And yes, only one of them is realistically going to end up in Boston.
The most attractive of the group, based on this year’s performance, is Abrams. The 25-year-old is having a monster season for the Nationals: 27 home runs, 82 RBIs, 19 stolen bases, and a .931 OPS. In July alone, he has produced nine home runs and a 1.186 OPS. If you had to build the perfect shortstop for a Boston lineup that already leans left-handed, it is basically Abrams.
The catch, of course, is that Abrams is under club control through 2027. The Nationals do not have to move him. If they do, the return will need to be enormous. Boston has the prospect capital to swing it. Whether they want to spend that capital on a rental of a controlled asset is another matter.
Neto is the most polished defensive option and also the most attainable. The 24-year-old is on a Halos team going nowhere and would fit cleanly into Fenway’s dimensions. His bat is less loud than Abrams’s, but he is a plus defender with real speed. Pena is the veteran option, though the Astros have every reason to want to hold onto him for their own playoff push.
Otto Lopez is the sleeper name and probably the cheapest. The Marlins are clearly rebuilding, and Lopez has quietly become one of their most consistent regulars. He is not going to hit 30 home runs, but he plays a clean shortstop and provides positional versatility.
The bigger picture question is what the Red Sox are trying to be. Craig Breslow’s front office spent the winter making the roster younger and more athletic. The July moves so far have followed that theme. Adding a shortstop to that group is the final piece of a legitimate playoff push.
Boston is still in the AL East mix and is playing well enough to look like a real threat. Landing Abrams or Neto immediately raises the ceiling. It also blows a hole in the farm system, but that is what trade deadlines are for.
My guess is Neto. The price makes sense, the defensive fit makes sense, and the Angels are the most motivated seller. But do not rule out a bigger swing. Breslow has already shown he will be aggressive when he sees the right piece.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
