There isn’t a hotter team in Major League Baseball right now than the Boston Red Sox, who have completely turned their season around.
Boston has won 14 straight games entering Tuesday night, creating a scenario where the club could become buyers instead of sellers ahead of the MLB trade deadline on Aug. 3.
Jeff Passan Names 3 Targets for Red Sox
On Tuesday, ESPN’s Jeff Passan appeared on The “Pat McAfee Show” and mentioned several shortstops the Red Sox could target before the trade deadline.
Passan identified Zach Neto, Jeremy Pena, and, as a longer-shot option, CJ Abrams.
“When you can add talent, you add talent,” Passan said. “There are some others out there, at least names being tossed around, that make a lot of sense for the Red Sox. Shortstop is a position I think is important to them and a focus for them.
“We added a new name to that Top 100 trade candidates list at No. 6 in Zach Neto from the Los Angeles Angels. Now, I don’t know if it’s going to be specifically Neto. There’s an opportunity to go out and potentially get Jeremy Pena from the Houston Astros and even CJ Abrams, who’s had a good year but probably isn’t a long-term shortstop. I think the Red Sox are going to try to be aggressive, and I don’t blame them.”
Jeff Passan on the Red Sox at the trade deadline:
“I think the Red Sox are gonna try and be aggressive, and I don’t blame them.”
Mentioned Zach Neto, Jeremy Peña, and CJ Abrams as players that could be had.
(via @PatMcAfeeShow) pic.twitter.com/QE8oDbLkH8
— Gordo (@BOSSportsGordo) July 21, 2026
Most Realistic Option for Red Sox
As things stand, Neto appears to be the most realistic option if the Red Sox decide to add a shortstop before the trade deadline, especially with the Angels sitting at 40-61 and in last place in the AL West.
Neto is enjoying a strong season, hitting .235 with 19 home runs and 46 RBIs. Given the Angels’ position in the standings, selling high on the 25-year-old could make plenty of sense.
Pena, who attended the University of Maine early in his college career, could also be a possibility. However, the Astros sit just 3.5 games behind in the AL West and 4.5 games out of a Wild Card spot, so where they stand in two weeks will likely determine whether they become true sellers.
Abrams is the biggest long shot of the three players Passan mentioned, and for good reason. At just 25 years old, he still has tremendous upside, and the Nationals remain in the Wild Card race, sitting only 1.0 game back. He’s also under team control through 2028, so unless Boston makes a significant offer, Washington has little reason to move him at the moment.
Boston Red Sox Linked to 3 Shortstop Targets Ahead of Trade Deadline