The Red Sox spent last season piecing together shortstop on the fly, and the result was a spot that never really settled in. Boston used six different players at the position in 2026, and none of them logged more games there than Trevor Story, who made only 62 starts because of injuries.
The group beyond Story included Andruw Monasterio, Marcelo Mayer, Tsung-Che Chung, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and Nick Sogard. Meanwhile, Franklin Arias, Boston’s top prospect, is still developing at Triple-A Worcester and may not be ready to help until later in the season.
That setup is why Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller sees Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena as a fit for Boston this offseason.
"And because they rather expect Arias to be a key piece of the puzzle by no later than 2028, trading for a multi-year solution a la CJ Abrams, Zach Neto or Corey Seager probably isn't the route they want to go, if they can instead get one year of Peña at a not-too-exorbitant cost," Miller wrote.
Pena would give the Red Sox a short-term answer while Arias continues to come along. MLB.com ranks Arias as the No. 2 prospect in baseball, and Boston could also explore the possibility of extending Pena and asking him to shift to second base. But the more realistic path is that he serves as a bridge.
The bat is the big draw. In 112 games this past season, Pena hit .277/.325/.477 with 22 home runs and a 122 OPS+. He has been one of the most reliable offensive shortstops in the majors, and his power would be a welcome boost for a Boston lineup that needs it.
The catch is obvious: Houston would have to be willing to put Pena in play.
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