Red Sox's Shortstop Trade Buzz Scorching Hot With Deadline Approaching

Are the Boston Red Sox going to bring in a big name on Monday?

Jul 25, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams (5) against the Arizona Diamondbacks on the field at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It's officially now or never for the Boston Red Sox.

On Monday at 6 p.m. ET, the Major League Baseball trade deadline will pass and the Red Sox will be out of good opportunities to boost their playoff resume -- which has received as dramatic a boost over the last month-and-a-half as could possibly have been envisioned.

The most obvious position that craves upgrades? Shortstop. The targets? Not as easy to identify which shortstops around the league will go to the highest bidder, but it seems like the Red Sox are firmly in the mix.

Who will Red Sox get -- if anyone?

Jul 31, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto (9) runs after hitting a single against the Milwaukee Brewers during the fourth inning at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

On Monday morning, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic added to the growing anticipation of a big Red Sox trade. The insider reported that he'd heard from an anonymous rival executive that Boston's pursuit of shortstops was dominating that exec's personal rumor mill.

"Could be the Washington Nationals’ CJ Abrams. Could be the Los Angeles Angels’ Zach Neto. Probably won’t be the Miami Marlins’ Otto López," wrote Rosenthal. "But as one exec, who spoke on the condition of anonymity so they could speak candidly about the Red Sox, said in a text, 'That’s all I hear — Boston/SS.'”

Though the Red Sox have been getting by of late with a surging Andruw Monasterio as the everyday shortstop, the fact remains that this offense is in obvious need of an upgrade or two, and the shortstop position seems the most unsolved moving forward. The only confounding variable, of course, is that Boston's No. 1 prospect is a 20-year-old shortstop.

Would the Red Sox consider trading Franklin Arias, that very prospect, for a more veteran shortstop like Abrams or Neto? It's worth noting that although both would be serious offensive upgrades, they both come with question marks on defense -- Abrams in particular.

The Red Sox also made one deal already with the Nationals at this deadline, and second baseman Curtis Mead broke his wrist in just his second plate appearance for Boston on Tuesday.

In a matter of hours, all those questions will be answered. It's a pressure-packed day for Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, whose team has played so well of late that it deserves a major facelift.