Red Sox still searching for another bat; George Springer in play? Is it time to move on from Jarren Duran?

The Red Sox have already made one move ahead of Monday’s trade deadline, but it’s hard to believe chief baseball officer Craig Breslow is finished.

Boston addressed its lineup by acquiring infielder Curtis Mead from the Nationals in exchange for left-hander Connelly Early, but the move immediately hit a snag. Mead fractured his left wrist after being hit by a pitch in just his second at-bat with the club Monday night against the Athletics.

Fortunately for Boston, the news wasn’t as bad as initially feared.

Mead visited a hand specialist in Boston on Wednesday and learned that the fracture will not require surgery, according to MassLive. While he’ll miss significant time after being placed on the 10-day injured list, there’s optimism he could return during the final week of the regular season on a six-to-eight week timetable.

Even before Mead’s injury, however, the Red Sox were expected to remain active.

Shortstop Remains the Priority

Boston has been connected to seemingly every available right-handed hitter, but the organization’s preference appears to be adding a shortstop.

The Angels’ Zach Neto continues to be one of the club’s top targets.

The Red Sox tried acquiring Neto last offseason, and according to The Athletic, they remain interested in the 25-year-old. Under interim general manager John Mozeliak, the Angels could choose to retool by moving controllable talent for a significant return.

Neto won’t come cheaply, but the Sox have the pieces to make a trade. 

He’s under club control through 2029, earning just $4.15 million this season while producing like one of baseball’s better shortstops. He’s hit 19 home runs with a .757 OPS while ranking among the leaders at the position in both wRC+ and fWAR.

A deal almost certainly starts with one of Boston’s premium young position players, likely Marcelo Mayer or Franklin Arias, plus additional prospects.

Arias was recently promoted to Triple-A Worcester after tearing apart Double-A pitching, while Mayer remains sidelined with a bone stress reaction in his forearm.

If the Angels refuse to move Neto, another intriguing option is Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams.

Abrams has quietly become one of the game’s premier offensive shortstops, entering Friday with a .289/.362/.555 slash line and a position-leading 27 home runs. Like Neto, he remains under club control through 2028 and would immediately become Boston’s biggest power threat alongside Willson Contreras.

The asking price would likely be