Red Sox Are 'Biggest Threat' to Make Huge Trade for Shortstop: Insider

And if they do it... which shortstop will it be?

Jul 19, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams (5) looks on while leading off first base during the ninth inning against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Scott Marshall-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

On Sunday, with just over 24 hours to go before the trade deadline, the Boston Red Sox's rumor carousel began spinning at warp speed.

According to ESPN insider Jeff Passan, the Red Sox stood to be the most likely team that might acquire a big-name shortstop before Monday at 6 p.m. ET. It's not a shocking concept, as the Red Sox have gone through five shortstops this year without really settling on a solution.

Three shortstops Passan named as possible acquisitions for Boston: the Los Angeles Angels' Zach Neto, the Miami Marlins' Otto Lopez, and the Washington Nationals' CJ Abrams.

Will Red Sox land a big fish?

Jul 17, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Miami Marlins shortstop Otto Lopez (6) rounds first base after hitting a double during the fourth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"The biggest name to drop outside of Skubal could be one of the shortstops who are marginally available, and the Red Sox are the biggest threat to land one of them," Passan wrote. "Zach Neto, Otto Lopez... even CJ Abrams-- the Red Sox have the pieces for any of them, and teams are hoping to be the beneficiary of Boston's aggressiveness. Because all are excellent and controllable for multiple years, though, the asks are exorbitant."

Neto has been the name mentioned most often in connection to the Red Sox at this deadline among the position player crop, and he was also a known target in the offseason, before Boston traded for Caleb Durbin as a replacement for Alex Bregman. No doubt, he'd bean offensive asset, but perhaps not one with the highest ceiling.

Lopez is the man with the third-highest batting average in Major League Baseball, and the superior shortstop defender out of the three. The Marlins' recent losing streak has them in position to sell, but it would be somewhat extreme to move a guy who won't be a free agent until the winter of 2029.

Abrams is the lone man in the group who would hit free agency after the 2028 season, so maybe the Nationals find the motivation to rip off the Band-Aid. But not only is he the hottest hitter in the sport after the All-Star break -- he's the biggest downgrade of the group defensively. It's a weird trade to theorize for both sides.

Amid all this backdrop, the lingering variable is whether the Red Sox are motivated enough to land one of these big names to give up No. 1 prospect Franklin Arias, who would be the likely shortstop of the future should no trade be made.