Red Sox reportedly eyeing CJ Abrams, Zach Neto as trade deadline targets to boost lineup

With the trade deadline a little over a week away, the Boston Red Sox have to make some decisions on how to upgrade their roster. They went from sellers to buyers after a season-defining winning streak, so they have to act quickly after their priorities changed. 

It seems Boston GM Craig Breslow and the Red Sox’s main concerns are upgrading their offensive power at catcher and in the middle infield. According to USA TODAY’s Bob Nightengale, shortstops CJ Abrams and Zach Neto are at the top of the list for Boston.

Abrams would be an instant star

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Abrams has been linked to Boston before, and for good reason. He’s a two-time All-Star, slashing .286/.359/.544/.904 with 20 doubles, 24 home runs, and 76 RBI in 99 games. 

While he is a lefty and the second-worst defensive shortstop in baseball, his power more than makes up for it, as most of his home runs were 400+ feet, much deeper than the average 380 foot depth of Fenway’s right field. 

Neto is built for Boston

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Neto is another interesting candidate, as he is offensively built for Boston. He’s slashing .238/.326/.446/.771 with 21 doubles, 19 home runs, and 46 RBI in 100 games, but he’s a righty with a powerful pull tendency, which would let him rake in Fenway by abusing the Green Monster. 

Neto is also a bit of a statue on defense as well, but he has an extra year of control that Abrams doesn’t have.

Who’d be better?

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It’s really a matter of preference. Abrams is a proven All-Star who has better all-around stats than Neto, but his defense is worse, and his contract is shorter. Neto is more of a project, but his metrics show he could be a super slugger in Boston. 

Neto will also probably cost less due to the fact he’s worse offensively, and isn’t an All-Star. So, if Boston wants to go grab an All-Star catcher as well, Neto is the obvious choice. However, if they want more power in the middle infield and sacrifice a bit on the catcher acquisition, Abrams is their man.

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