The Boston Red Sox are still hunting for a right-handed bat, and the shortstop market has them circling two names: Jeremy Peña and Zach Neto.
That’s where things get interesting for the Houston Astros. According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, Boston is trying to work the leverage game, with the idea of pushing the two AL West rivals against each other. The Red Sox just added Curtis Mead, but shortstop remains their priority, and Peña is very much in the mix.
Houston, though, has reasons not to blink first. The Astros are acting like a club that plans to contend, and if Boston wants Peña badly enough, it may have to make the kind of offer that forces Houston to rethink its stance.
Neto is available in a different sense. The Angels are said to be willing to hear offers, but that does not mean they are eager to move him.
He also comes with three more years of team control after this season, which removes any real pressure to deal him now. There’s also talk that Los Angeles may not go into a full rebuild at all, and instead could try to add major league talent while moving veteran rentals.
If that happens and the Angels keep Neto, Boston could turn more aggressively toward Peña.
The Astros, however, may not be in a position to ignore the possibility. Dana Brown’s plan is to buy at the deadline unless disaster strikes in the coming week.
And disaster is at least on the table: Houston has a three-game set with the Angels, then three games against the AL West-leading Texas Rangers. If those series go badly, the Astros could slide enough in both the division and wild-card races to change course.
There’s another layer here too. Houston already knows Peña may not be part of the long-term picture. The team has not reached an extension with the shortstop, and as a Boras client, Peña is set to hit free agency next offseason.
That puts the Astros in the same basic spot they faced with Kyle Tucker, with a possible winter trade looming. The difference is timing. If Boston gets desperate enough now, Houston could be staring at a better return than what it might land later in an offseason shaped by labor uncertainty.
The Red Sox have been looking for a shortstop in a market that does not have many of them.
If Boston were to build a deal around Franklin Arias, Houston would have something real to think about. Arias is MLB Pipeline’s No. 7 prospect, and the 20-year-old has been tearing it up this year, batting .309/.396/.570 with 19 home runs. He has already been bumped to Triple-A and is not far from the majors despite his age.
So this could turn into a standoff, with both teams trying to force the other to move first. If the Astros are willing to set aside pride and read the market correctly, they may be able to turn Peña into a major haul, even if that means admitting the 2026 season is no longer the path they expected.
In Other News...
Astros Make Rotation Move As Pressure Builds On Unsettled Staff
Hayden Wesneski is back in the picture for Houston at a time when the rotation could use some clarity, and the club is set to give him the ball in the series finale in Anaheim. The right-hander, acquired from the Cubs as part of the Kyle Tucker trade, has spent the past year-plus working back from Tommy John surgery and a minor league rehab assignment, giving the Astros another option as they try to steady a staff that has leaned on Hunter Brown, Peter Lambert, Ronel Blanco and Tatsuya Imai.
The move still requires a corresponding roster decision, since Houston must option a pitcher even with a vacancy available on the 40-man roster. And while Wesneskis return adds depth, it also comes against a backdrop of uncertainty around the back end of the rotation, where Imais spot has been under scrutiny and the Astros are expected to keep looking for help on the trade market. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Suddenly Face A Rotation Decision They Can't Ignore
Tatsuya Imais rookie season has reached the point where the Astros can no longer treat his struggles as a short-term blip. Through 15 starts, the right-hander has battled through outings that have ended before he could even record three outs, and Joe Espada acknowledged the club is still sorting through the mechanical issues that have followed him from start to start. The manager said Houston will keep evaluating Imais role, which is a clear sign the team is at least open to changing course if the command and delivery issues do not clean up soon.
What makes the situation more pressing is that the Astros do not appear ready to lock in his next turn just yet, leaving the rotation picture unsettled at a time when every start matters. Espada said the club has discussed Imais challenges and is weighing alternatives, including the possibility of other arms taking on a bigger role, while the broader question of how to handle a pitcher with this much inconsistency hangs over the staff. For Houston, this is no longer just about one rough stretch - it is about deciding how long they can afford to wait. [Read more 🡒]