The Boston Red Sox have been in search of an everyday shortstop since Trevor Story went on the Injured list on May 16th. Ever since then, the team has had a revolving door of options at the position, including offseason acquisition Isiah Kiner-Falefa, top prospect Marcelo Mayer, and various minor-league reclamation projects.
While Boston has been on a recent hot streak despite not having an everyday shortstop, Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow must make an upgrade at the position for the remainder of the season and the postseason. One trade target that Boston may reportedly be interested in is Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon.
"Picture Zach Neto in a Boston Red Sox uniform. The idea, at least from the Red Sox’s perspective, is not far-fetched," they wrote. "The Sox, after expressing interest in the Los Angeles Angels shortstop last offseason, continue to view him as a strong fit, according to people briefed on their discussions but granted anonymity to speak freely."
The 25-year-old is not a perfect player, but he may be just what the Red Sox need in a right-handed power bat. In the middle of his fourth MLB season, Neto has 77 home runs and has driven in 219 runs as a middle-of-the-order bat for the Halos. In addition to his power bat, Neto has proven to be a threat on the basepaths, posting 26+ stolen bases in each of the last two seasons. While his numbers are down this season, Neto still has 13 stolen bases.
Zach Neto is a good power bat, but his defense might be a problem
While Neto has been one of the most offensively productive shortstops, his performance in the field leaves much to be desired. This season, Neto has a fielding percentage of .962 and is on pace to set a new career high in errors, having committed 14 through just 99 games. For reference, his previous career high of 18 came in 2024 when he played in 155 games for the Angels. This is not a promising sign that his fielding is getting worse as he gains experience in the Major Leagues.
While Neto isn't a defensive disaster, if Boston were to acquire him before the August 3rd trade deadline, manager Chad Tracy may opt to move him to second base and pair him with a more slick-fielding shortstop to hide his mistake-prone tendencies.
Rarely does a 25-year-old shortstop who is as productive as Neto has been become available for trade, and the Red Sox front office should pounce on the opportunity to trade for him. Over the last two seasons, his 5.1 WAR in 2024 ranked in the Top-23 in baseball, and his 5.1 WAR in 2025 ranked 32nd. In addition to his high level of production, Neto won't hit free agency until after the 2029 season, giving Boston another young core player to build around for the foreseeable future.
If Chad Tracy and the coaching staff can help limit Neto's fielding errors, they would be getting one of baseball's best up-and-coming shortstops as he enters his prime seasons. And most importantly, will have acquired a much-needed right-handed power bat to complement all-star Wilson Contreras as Boston makes its push for October baseball.
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