The Red Sox already took one swing at improving the infield, and now another familiar name is back in the conversation.
Boston was active as the 2026 trade deadline neared, searching for help in the infield and more thump in the lineup. The club eventually landed Curtis Mead from the Washington Nationals in a deal that sent lefty Connelly Early the other way. Mead’s time in Boston has barely started, though, because he played in one game before fracturing his wrist and going on the Injured List.
Mead wasn’t the only infielder tied to the Red Sox last summer. Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto surfaced in trade chatter, and Miami Marlins shortstop Otto Lopez was another player linked to Boston.
Now Lopez is back on the radar, at least in the rumor mill. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported that the Marlins are not actively pushing him out the door, but they also aren’t locking the door shut.
"Though the Marlins aren’t believed to be shopping Lopez or [Xavier Edwards], neither player is considered untouchable. If a team is willing to offer a lot in return, Miami would listen," Jackson wrote.
That’s the key distinction: Miami isn’t “shopping” Lopez, but it would be open to moving him for a big enough return.
And there’s no question Lopez’s value is coming off a huge year. The 28-year-old, who has been an All-Star, has three seasons of team control left before free agency.
In 2026, he broke out in a big way, hitting .305/.349/.437 with a .786 OPS, 11 home runs, 71 RBIs, 34 stolen bases, 32 doubles and 94 runs scored. He also led the league with 191 hits and finished with 6.1 wins above replacement, which would have topped every Red Sox player.
His 2025 season was solid, just not on the same level. Lopez batted .246 with 15 home runs, 77 RBIs and posted 3.6 wins above replacement over 143 games.
The Red Sox, though, may not have a clear need to chase him. Shortstop already looks crowded with Trevor Story in place, and top prospect Franklin Arias is expected to reach the majors in 2027, and possibly sooner. If Boston were to pursue Lopez, Story would likely move to designated hitter, while Arias would either handle second base or start the year in Triple-A unless he were included in a trade.
That’s where the line gets hard to cross. Arias should not be part of the package for Lopez, and paying a premium for a player who has produced one elite season in five years doesn’t look like the right move, especially with Boston still waiting to see what it has in Arias.
Lopez has played multiple spots before, including the outfield, second base and shortstop in 2024. But using that flexibility as a way to justify a major trade price would be a stretch.
The offseason will bring plenty of noise. For the Red Sox, though, Lopez should probably remain what he was before: a name that came up, not a player to pursue.
In Other News...
Former Red Sox Are Suddenly At The Center Of This World Series
A World Series with no familiar champion has also turned into a reunion of sorts for Red Sox followers. The Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays, both still chasing their first title, are carrying several former Boston players into the sports biggest stage, with names that once cycled through the Red Sox system now surfacing on rosters that have made October a little more interesting from New Englands perspective.
Among the former Red Sox in the mix are Kyle Harrison, Shane Drohan, David Hamilton, Dustin May and Cam Booser, each arriving there by a different path and with a different role in the postseason. Some have already made real contributions in October, while others have seen more limited action, but the common thread is clear enough for Boston fans: a series that should be about two long-suffering franchises has unexpectedly put a handful of ex-Red Sox right at the center of it. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox May Have A Cost Problem In This Free Agent Market
The early read on this winters free-agent class is that the top names could push the market into uncomfortable territory, and that is hardly ideal for a Red Sox club that may be shopping with a ceiling in mind. Tarik Skubal, Michael King, Sonny Gray and Randy Arozarena are among the players expected to draw real money, while the mix of talent is only getting deeper with free agents coming over from Nippon Professional Baseball.
For Boston, the concern is not just competition from other bidders, but timing. An impending lockout and the possibility of salary cap changes could force front offices to move faster than usual, which means any pursuit the Red Sox have in mind may not linger for long. In a market already shaping up to be expensive, patience could come with a price. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Still Have One Winter Need They Can't Ignore
The Red Sox are entering the winter with a familiar kind of confidence, one built on back-to-back playoff trips after three straight Octobers at home. With most of the core expected to carry over into 2027, Boston does not look like a club in need of a full reset so much as one trying to sharpen the edges of a roster that already belongs in the postseason conversation. Curtis Mead is one possible addition to the mix, but the bigger picture is that the lineup could look a lot like last seasons when Opening Day arrives.
Still, one area keeps looming over the offseason plan: power. Bostons front office has to weigh the likely departure of Sonny Gray, along with free-agent decisions on Patrick Sandoval and Isiah Kiner-Falefa, while also sorting out where the next impact bat comes from. Whether it comes via free agency or a trade, the Red Sox seem to know the same thing every contender eventually does - a good roster can always use another source of thump, and that need has a way of becoming impossible to ignore once the market starts moving. [Read more 🡒]