The Boston Red Sox have put together a special turnaround this season, putting themselves directly into the postseason conversation following a slow start to the year.
Now, with the trade deadline less than two weeks away, Boston could become true buyers as the front office tries to add to the roster. One area of need for the Red Sox is within the infield, and luckily for Boston, there seems to be a collection of guys available.
But one player in particular seems to be of interest to the top decision-makers of the Red Sox: shortstop Zach Neto of the Los Angeles Angels. According to MLB insiders Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic, Boston sees the shortstop as a “perfect fit” for the team.
“The Sox, after expressing interest in the Los Angeles Angels shortstop last offseason, continue to view him as a strong fit, according to people briefed on their discussions but granted anonymity to speak freely,” Rosenthal and Sammon wrote.
Should the Boston Red Sox Pursue the Los Angeles Angels’ Zach Neto?
GettyZach Neto of the Los Angeles Angels
As for Neto, the two teams had dialogue over the offseason, but the talks didn’t progress in the manner that Boston would have hoped for. But with the Angels firing former general manager Perry Minasian, the two sides could reignite the talks with John Mozeliak taking over the decision-making.
Adding Neto could fill a real need for the Red Sox, filling in the middle part of the infield. Boston has switched between Andruw Monasterio and Tsung-Che Cheng at shortstop, and it seems as if the team wants a more permanent solution.
Neto has shown signs of a potential breakout with the Angels, and a change of scenery could be good for the 25-year-old. So far this season, Neto has played in 100 games, while hitting .238 with 19 home runs, 46 RBIs, and posting an OPS of .772.
Neto could be the perfect addition for this Red Sox team, giving them another solid bat in the lineup for the stretch run. His power numbers have improved each year in the major leagues, and there could be more to work with.
The shortstop has three more seasons of team control under his contract, which could drive the price up to land his services. But for the Red Sox, this could be an investment into a young player that the team has been interested in for a while.
Red Sox Turnaround
With the Red Sox going 20-3 since June 25, the opportunity to become a buyer at the deadline is here. Boston had World Series aspirations entering the season, but a poor start to the year put a pause on everything.
The Red Sox fired manager Alex Cora early in the year, and that has proved to be the correct decision. Chad Tracy has this team playing like a connected unit, and he may have earned the ability to take the interim tag off his name.
Of course, there is still a lot of season left to be played, but the Red Sox are right back in the thick of everything. The trade deadline could show just how strongly the front office believes in this group, and any significant additions could push the ceiling of this team even higher.
Red Sox ‘Interested’ in Trading for Angels Star Ahead of Deadline