The Red Sox are pursuing infielders after Curtis Mead’s injury. Here’s who they could target
The Boston Red Sox remain engaged in conversations for additional infield help in the wake of Curtis Mead’s broken left wrist, a person close to the situation — who spoke anonymously to candidly discuss a matter they were not authorized to speak on publicly — told The Athletic.
Mead, whom Boston acquired over the weekend in a deal with the Washington Nationals, broke his left wrist Monday when he was hit by a pitch in his second at-bat for the Red Sox. With the newly acquired infielder sidelined, the Red Sox were left scrambling to find an additional bat to bolster their lineup ahead of MLB’s Aug. 3 trade deadline.
Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow’s move to land Mead more than a week before the deadline — in a trade for left-hander Connelly Early that he called “incredibly uncomfortable” — highlighted his urgency to add to a surging Red Sox team that on Wednesday had playoff odds over 65 percent, according to FanGraphs.
With infielders Trevor Story (sports hernia), Marcelo Mayer (forearm stress reaction) and Isiah Kiner-Falefa (forearm stress reaction) all on the injured list, the Red Sox have relied on Andruw Monasterio as their starting shortstop, but would prefer to use him in the utility role for which he was acquired. Story is not yet close to a rehab assignment, while Mayer and Kiner-Falefa remain in the early stages of baseball activities.
With Mead out for what could be the rest of the season, the Red Sox are back to the drawing board, assessing the remaining infield options ahead of Monday’s deadline. Here’s a look at some of the names they might be considering.
Luis Arraez, San Francisco Giants
Luis Arraez lacks power but would still improve Boston’s lineup and defense. (Scott Marshall / Associated Press)
The Red Sox are looking to add more power to their lineup, and Arraez doesn’t offer that, but would still be a strong addition as one of the league’s best bats, hitting .331 with an .817 OPS through 102 games. Arraez has 23 doubles, seven triples, and is relentless in getting on base as a three-time batting champion. His style of play would fit the Red Sox’s current small-ball style.
Arraez is also among the best defensive second basemen in the league, with 10 Outs Above Average. He is a free agent this offseason, so his addition would give the Red Sox flexibility with Mead in the mix long-term at second and top prospect Franklin Arias the likely future shortstop.
Arraez lacks power and bats left-handed, which makes him an imperfect fit for the Red Sox, but he’d still enhance Boston’s lineup and defense. The Giants need pitching and would want that in the return in any potential deal. The Athletic’s Grant Brisbee recently broke down some Giants trade ideas and floated Red Sox left-handed prospect Hayden Mullins, whom the Red Sox would have to add to the roster this offseason ahead of the Rule 5 Draft. Even as a rental, Arraez would likely require more than just Mullins, but adding Brayan Bello to the mix could boost the package, give Bello a change of scenery and give San Francisco two pitchers with multiple years of control.
Zach Neto, Los Angeles Angels
The Red Sox have previously shown interest in Zach Neto. (Jack Compton / Getty Images)
The Red Sox have been tied to Neto since last offseason, as reported by The Athletic, so there’s clear interest. The 25-year-old shortstop is under control for three more seasons, so acquiring him would block Arias (unless the Red Sox traded Arias for Neto). Through 105 games, Neto was hitting .234 with a .762 OPS. One evaluator, who was granted anonymity in exchange for candor because they were not authorized to speak publicly, called Neto, who has 21 doubles and 19 homers this season, a “perfect fit” for the Red Sox, given the right-handed power.
Still, Neto is not a great defensive shortstop and the Red Sox would be giving up something on that end. Acquiring a shortstop with several years of control not only causes issues for Arias, but could also impact Story (signed through 2027) and Mayer (under control through 2031), with Mead (under control through 2030) likely to play second base in the future. The Angels are seeking to upgrade their farm system and would likely want Arias and at least one or two other prospects in return.
Otto Lopez, Miami Marlins
Otto Lopez was an All-Star this year. (Megan Briggs / Getty Images)
The right-handed hitting Lopez, who is under team control for three more years, could be a strong fit for the Red Sox. Miami is open to listening, and ESPN on Wednesday reported that Boston had inquired about the 27-year-old. Lopez was an All-Star this season and through 105 games was lighting up the majors with a .329 average and 27 doubles along with 22 stolen bases and an .853 OPS. He doesn’t have a ton of power with nine homers, but it is obvious a bat like his would bolster Boston’s lineup.
Lopez is a stronger defender at shortstop (five OAA), but he also has 136 career games at second, where he posted an eye-popping 16 OAA in 2024. The return for Lopez would be steep, but it is unlikely Miami would want to take on much payroll, which means the Marlins will probably look for the best package of prospects or young major leaguers. The Red Sox, of course, aren’t the only team interested in him, so any package would have to start with a top-50 pitcher such as Anthony Eyanson, and perhaps include 2025 first-rounder Kyson Witherspoon, among others.
Luis García Jr., Washington Nationals
Curtis Mead arrived in Boston in a deal with Washington. Would the Red Sox work with the Nationals again, this time for Luis García Jr.? (Greg Fiume / Getty Images)
This isn’t the cleanest fit, because García hits lefty and has mostly played first base this season. He played 129 games at second last year but was one of the league’s worst defenders. Still, the Red Sox could slide García to the designated hitter role. Through 101 games, he was hitting .281 with 22 homers and an .860 OPS.
Would it be weird to acquire a second infielder in the span of a week from the Nationals? Yes. Has Breslow made two trades in the span of a month with the same team before? Yes. (Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras, from the St. Louis Cardinals.) Again, this one probably isn’t the likeliest option, but it’s a possibility. García is making $6.8 million this year and is arbitration-eligible this winter, becoming a free agent after 2027.
