The shortstop market may be thin enough this winter to make Jeremy Pena and Zach Neto two of the most valuable names in the rumor mill.
That’s the view Erik Kratz laid out Wednesday on “Foul Territory,” where he pointed to the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Angels as teams that could end up at the center of a bigger offseason conversation. With both clubs heading in different directions, the possibility of a shakeup has put their shortstops under a brighter spotlight.
“Two shortstops available, two shortstops that have clear upside,” Kratz said Wednesday. “Neto and Pena.
Does a team pivot and go to Neto, or does a team pivot and go to Pena? I guess it's really the asking price…it’s really if you can actually talk to somebody with the Angels.
But I think there's an inflection point with both teams, and getting rid of a shortstop is a huge, huge deal.”
Shortstop help is hard enough to find.
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) November 4, 2026
If Jeremy Peña or Zach Neto becomes available, the asking price could be MASSIVE. pic.twitter.com/7FjmK70Zc4
Kratz’s point was simple: when the market is this barren, the price climbs fast. Teams in need of help at shortstop may not have many realistic alternatives, which only increases the leverage for Houston and Los Angeles if they even consider moving either player.
Pena has been with Houston since 2022 and has established himself as one of the better shortstops in the game. In 112 games, he hit .277 with 22 home runs and 56 RBIs.
Neto, also with his club since 2022, posted a career-high 27 home runs last season. He also finished with a .239 batting average, 77 RBIs and 24 stolen bases.
Kratz also emphasized how difficult it is to part with a player at that position in the first place.
“You don't find big-league shortstops at very many places. That's why I think it's hard to move those guys because I think they'll probably ask the world for them,” Kratz said.
Whether either team actually moves its shortstop remains to be seen. Houston won the AL West with an 81-81 record, while Los Angeles finished last in the division at 62-100.
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