The Boston Red Sox's pursuit of a shortstop ahead of the trade deadline is well-known by now. There is no faith whatsoever that Trevor Story or Marcelo Mayer will be able to contribute to a playoff run this year, so the Red Sox have been moving with purpose to add a quality infielder. However, what we didn't know was the lengths to which Boston may be willing to go.
The shortstop crop on the trade market this year leaves a lot to be desired. There is a chance that the Astros would move Jeremy Peña, but it feels more likely that Houston adds reinforcements and tries to make a postseason run themselves. CJ Abrams could very well be an option, but he is going to be pricey for a guy who probably shouldn't be playing shortstop at all (yes, he is that bad on defense).
However, price may not be as big of an obstacle to the Red Sox's schemes as we may think. According to a report from MassLive's Sean McAdams, Boston had an offer on the table to acquire star Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz. Those talks didn't go anywhere, but it does illustrate how far the Red Sox are willing to go right now in trade talks.
Red Sox trade rumors: Talks with Reds involving Elly de la Cruz go nowherehttps://t.co/UgrG0VrXRV
— Sean McAdam (@Sean_McAdam) August 1, 2026
Red Sox's failed attempt to trade for Elly De La Cruz shows that they are willing to push their chips in at the deadline
We don't have names, but McAdams' report does say that the offer on the table from the Red Sox was made up "mostly" of prospects. Understandably, Cincinnati didn't bite and appeared to only be willing to entertain the idea of trading De La Cruz if the trade package included young major league talent. Given that is already a roster area of need for Boston, that was a nonstarter.
It is definitely odd how Craig Breslow and the Red Sox are going about handling shortstop. Sure, Curtis Mead's injury definitely threw a wrench in their plans, but he isn't going to be out forever. They also have a very, very good shortstop prospect sitting in the minor leagues right now in Franklin Arias. With Mead around and Arias likely to be MLB ready in 2027, why exactly would Boston go out and add a controllable shortstop that will likely cost them a younger, cheaper controllable shortstop in Arias?
Perhaps there is more urgency in the Red Sox's front office than we think to make 2026 their year, or they may just not like Arias as much as the prospect scouting industry does. Whatever the case may be, if the Red Sox are willing to try and close the deal on a blockbuster like De La Cruz, we could be in store for a WILD trade deadline.
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