Red Sox's Trade Market Desires Reported By Boston Insider

Who could Boston be chasing?

Dec 9, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow speaks with the media at the Hilton Anatole during the 2024 MLB Winter Meetings. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

As the Boston Red Sox struggle with offense like never before, the trade deadline seems to be zooming forward quicker than ever.

Though they scored six runs on Friday night and seven in a game earlier this week, the Red Sox still rank 29th in both runs scored and home runs out of the 30 Major League Baseball teams. The American League is weak, which means their 22-28 record hasn't yet sunk their ship, but if they're going to make any noise whatsoever this year, they'll need more offense.

It's no secret that trade talks have been happening across the league at a faster pace than usual for May. CEO Sam Kennedy said on WEEI this week that the Red Sox were looking to add offense. But they've also got some baseline criteria that The Athletic's Jen McCaffrey reported on Saturday.

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Red Sox looking for right-handed bats

May 7, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Caleb Durbin (5) hits an RBI single against the Tampa Bay Rays during the second inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

According to McCaffrey, the Red Sox's preference is to add a right-handed bat, with position being something of an afterthought. The team's weakest offensive positions thus far have been all over the infield, excluding first base, catcher, and left field.

"What caliber of bat and what the Red Sox would be willing to trade in return remain the biggest questions," wrote McCaffrey.

"While an immediate trade is unlikely, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has shown early aggressiveness before. He traded Rafael Devers, one of the team’s most productive hitters, to the San Francisco Giants in a stunning deal on June 15, 2025."

A sneaky dream target for Boston

May 22, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto (9) watches the flight of the ball on his second solo home run of the game in the eighth inning against the Texas Rangers at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

While we don't yet know every player available across the league, a few teams have fallen out of the race. We could examine a few trade candidates and their fits with the Red Sox, but because the preference is for a righty, a name to circle (maybe just in pencil) is Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto.

The Red Sox were known to be high on Neto in the offseason, but ultimately couldn't get a deal done. It didn't sound like things were particularly close to getting across the finish line. But the Angels, who have started the season a ghastly 18-34, have to at least be considering a total sell-off.

Neto, 25, has rebounded from a slow start to post a 115 OPS+ in the earlygoing this season. The real question is whether the Angels see him as too valuable to let go this soon, but they're not going to get a better package for him in the future than they would now.

Just food for thought, not a report that the Red Sox are back on Neto's tail. It's a fit that would make sense as long as Trevor Story can't be depended upon, and Neto could easily move infield positions someday as well.