Red Sox 'would love' to trade for Astros or Angels star shortstop after Curtis Mead deal

The Boston Red Sox are refusing to slow down ahead of the trade deadline, executing a deal that brought Australian infielder Curtis Mead to Fenway Park from the Washington Nationals. According to USA Today reporter Bob Nightengale, the front office is reportedly setting its sights even higher in the infield market, noting that the Red Sox "would love" to trade for a star right-handed hitting shortstop, specifically targeting Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña or Los Angeles Angels infielder Zach Neto.

The aggression stems from a rapid turnaround in the standings. Powered by a historic 15-game winning streak that tied a franchise mark originally set in 1946, Boston sits at 53-50 overall and holds the second American League wild-card spot, while also sitting in third place in the competitive American League East behind the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees. Yet chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has had to navigate extensive injuries to core bats like Roman Anthony, Trevor Story, Marcelo Mayer, and Triston Casas, leaving the club ranking near the bottom of the majors in home runs. Anthony has been sidelined after tearing ligaments and a tendon in his right ring finger, while Breslow has noted that the deadline is complicated because he does not want to trade for a job an injured player is about to take back.

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To begin addressing that power vacuum, Boston sent starting pitcher Connelly Early to the Washington Nationals in exchange for Mead. The move provides the Red Sox with a controllable right-handed bat who is having a breakout campaign. The Nationals and Red Sox announced the trade Sunday morning.

The Curtis Mead Addition and the Cost of Connelly Early

Acquiring Mead represents a calculated risk for both franchises involved. The 25-year-old South Australian infielder grew up playing Australian rules football in Adelaide before choosing baseball, spending time in the minor leagues and major leagues with the Tampa Bay Rays before getting traded to the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox designated him for assignment at the end of March, after which he joined the Nationals. Mead has slashed .256/.351/.505 with 17 home runs, 48 RBIs, an .856 OPS, six stolen bases, and an OPS+ of 136 across 86 games this season. He has played third base, first base, and second base.

Fantasy analyst Corbin Young praised the acquisition on social media as an ideal pairing, highlighting that Mead has pulled the ball into the air significantly more often this season while improving his barrel percentage and hard-hit rate. DraftKings analyst Jordan Moore drew historical parallels to Steve Pearce, the right-handed midseason addition who helped spark Boston's 2018 World Series run. Other observers noted that Mead's exit velocity and past numbers present a gamble on a small sample size, though his expected slugging percentage remains high.

Heading the other way is Early, a 24-year-old left-hander drafted out of the fifth round in 2023. Early went 7-5 with a 3.44 ERA, a 1.255 WHIP, and 93 strikeouts across 17 starts and 91 2/3 innings before landing on the injured list with left elbow discomfort on June 30. Dr. Keith Meister delivered a second opinion on Early's elbow and found nothing structurally wrong, and Early recently threw a light bullpen session. Nationals general manager Paul Toboni, who previously spent a decade in the Red Sox organization and oversaw the draft selection of Early, capitalized on Boston's pitching depth—which includes the emergence of Jake Bennett, the return of Patrick Sandoval, the availability of Brayan Bello, and upcoming rotation reinforcements such as Ranger Suárez—to secure a controllable arm with five years of club control remaining.

The Pursuit of Peña or Neto

Despite landing Mead to bolster the offense, Nightengale reports that Boston's appetite for upgrades remains unslaked. The club wants a marquee right-handed shortstop to anchor the defensive alignment alongside players like Caleb Durbin and Willson Contreras.

Jeremy Peña, 28, has posted a .315 batting average with nine home runs and 2.5 bWAR across 58 games this season, remaining under club control through 2027. Alternatively, 25-year-old Zach Neto brings a .236 batting average, a .771 OPS, and 2.8 bWAR in 102 games for the Angels, with control stretching all the way through 2029.

Executing a trade for either player will present steep obstacles. Both shortstops are young, productive, and controlled for multiple seasons by franchises that may prove reluctant to sell controllable assets.

What to Watch Next

• Trade Deadline Clock: The Major League Baseball trade deadline arrives on Monday, August 3, 2026, leaving Craig Breslow and the front office with a tight window to negotiate further deals.
• American League East Race: Track Boston's standing in the fiercely competitive division against the front-running Tampa Bay Rays and the second-place New York Yankees as the team looks to sustain its winning momentum.