Trades: The Red Sox Have Their Eyes on Three Major Targets

A few weeks ago, the Boston Red Sox were clearly in a seller's position heading into the trade deadline. In fact, closer Aroldis Chapman was about to pack his bags and head to the Chicago White Sox.

However, on this beautiful Friday, July 24, 2026, the Red Sox hold the third and final “best second-place” spot in the American League, thanks to a 15-game winning streak and the overall weakness of the competition on this side of the bracket this year.

As a result, Boston will look to improve its roster in the coming days, rather than part with its top trade chips.

And even though it will be difficult to add offensive firepower in the current market, Bob Nightengale of USA Today has identified three hitters the Sox have targeted and with whom they have begun discussions to acquire their services.

The Red Sox have plenty of cash on hand after trading Rafael Devers last summer, and they won't hesitate to make moves for big-name stars. They've already tried to acquire Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout, and this time they have their sights set on shortstops Zach Neto of the Angels and C.J. Abrams of the Washington Nationals. They're also salivating at the prospect of having Shea Langeliers of the Athletics behind the plate.

It's still unclear whether the three players mentioned above will be available by August 3, since they're under team control for another two and a half years.

Furthermore, the Nationals are still in the playoff race, while the Angels—in our coverage—aren't in the habit of trading away a player of Neto's caliber, even when they're out of the playoff picture.

Not to mention that the Sacramento A's might try to arrive in Las Vegas in 2028 with a team capable of competing for the American League West title.

So it won't be easy for the Red Sox to strike a deal, but at least President of Baseball Operations Craig Breslow seems to be coming out of hibernation.

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